South London Weekly - September 4th 2026 by CommunityMattersMedia

SouthLondonWeekly. Community matters

READY FOR THE BIG HALF MARATHON? See pages 6

Issue 169 ∙ 50p ∙ September 4 2026 ∙ www.southlondon.co.uk

IT’S LOVE IN LEWISHAM

See page 9

Residents concerned over plans for the childhood home of David Bowie

Alonso: Emi can have golden touch

See sport

‘BOWIE BLUES’ See page 14-15

Three schools. One shared vision.

Find out about our schools’ Open Days: Or visit: chartertrust.org.uk/open-days-secondary

2 NEWS Contents NEWS Pages 2-15

TORIES FAIL TO SECURE CONTROL OF WANDSWORTH AFTER BY-ELECTION By Charlotte Lillywhite

ARTS

The Trinity ward, which is represented by two councillors, saw its own shift in the local elections, as former Labour councillor Jack Mayorcas lost his seat to Conservative councillor Kirsten Botting by 64 votes. Ms Dobres held her own seat by 195 votes, but she quit in July to take up a new job that is “politically restricted”. The makeup of the council remains the same after last night’s by-election, with 29 seats for the Conservatives and 28 seats for Labour with the remaining seat held by Independent Councillor Grimston. Trinity also continues to be represented by one Labour and one Conservative councillor.

Local Democracy Reporter

Page 17

WANDSWORTH COUNCIL remains under no overall control, after Labour won a crucial by-election last week.

EVENTS Page 18 HISTORY Page 19 CLASSIFIED Page 20 PUBLIC NOTICES Pages 23-26 SPORT Pages 29-32

The Tories failed to secure former Labour councillor Lizzy Dobres’ seat, which would have given the group a two-seat majority to tip majority control of the council in their favour. Labour councillor Shirin Georgiani won the seat in Wandsworth’s Trinity ward with 1,558 votes – 127 more than Conservative candidate Otto Jacobsson. The by-election was a five-way contest between Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems, the Green Party and Reform UK. The result means the Conservatives continue to rule the authority as a minority administration with a confidence and supply arrangement with Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston. This means Councillor Grimston supports the Conservatives on key votes needed for the council to keep functioning, including the annual budget and votes of no confidence. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted Councillor Georgiani for comment on her win. The full local elections on May 7 saw Labour lose overall control of the South London borough, after taking over from the Conservatives for the first time in 44 years in 2022. The Conservatives won 29 seats – just one seat short of the 30 needed to win a majority – while Labour secured 28 seats.

TRINITY BY-ELECTION CANDIDATE RESULTS

Shirin Georgiani, Labour – 1,558 votes Otto Jacobsson, Conservatives – 1,431 votes Sylvain Magne, Green Party – 168 votes Dylan Henderson, Lib Dems – 75 votes Josh Stanton, Reform UK – 51 votes

Labour councillor Shirin Georgiani with leader Simon Hogg Credit: Wandsworth Labour

Westminster Councillor launches bid to be Tory London Mayoral candidate By Kumail Jaffer

in each of the last three elections since Boris Johnson stood down as Mayor of London. None of Zac Goldsmith, Shaun Bailey or Susan Hall were able to overhaul the current incumbent, who won comfortably on every occasion. But Mr Akinbusoye says his campaign will be different. Unlike any of the previous Conservative candidates, the former Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has no experience in Westminster or City Hall. Should he win, he will be a fairly unknown entity to voters – but with the Conservative Party only now stabilising politically after years of turmoil culminated in a disastrous

Local Democracy Reporter

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Local Labour politicians have welcomed Councillor Georgiani’s win. Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan said on X Wandsworth’s newest councillor “will be a dedicated local councillor who will stand up for the residents of Tooting Bec and Balham”. Opposition leader Simon Hogg added that residents had “voted for a great local champion”. Turnout for the vote was 39.5 per cent

THE FIRST hopeful for the Conservative candidacy to run for Mayor of London in 2028 has officially launched his campaign.

Festus Akinbusoye, a Westminster City Councillor who has previously run as a Parliamentary candidate for the party, has today thrown his hat into the ring amid rumours of an impending internal contest involving high profile names. The Tories have fallen short to Sir Sadiq Khan

SouthLondonWeekly.

SouthLondonWeekly. Community matters

Community matters

Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Evie Flynn; Alex Orr Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Will Scott Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly at: Community Matters Media Ltd, 1 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 0020 7232 1639 News/Advertising: hello@cm-media.co.uk Finance: em@cm-media.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

Issue 168 ∙ 50p ∙ August 28 2026 ∙ www.southlondon.co.uk

See pages 7

BANK HOLIDAY FUN

CHECKOUT PLANS FOR WANDSWORTH ROUNDABOUT See page 19

BLUES TRIO RAID COTTAGE

See sport

Croydon’s shops owners want repeat offenders excluded from the town centre and then tagged

‘TAG THE SHOPLIFTERS’

Three schools. One shared vision.

See page 17

Find out about our schools’ Open Days: Or visit: chartertrust.org.uk/open-days-secondary

General Election in 2024, a clean slate may be what’s needed to convince voters. “My proposition to London is this,” Mr Akinbusoye tells the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) confidently. “I’m a fresh face. I’ve not been part of a government in the past, but I come with solid private sector experience, having set up a small business with the help of the Prince’s Trust. “I come with lived experience of the issues many people in London face around homelessness and the cost of living, coming here as an immigrant and the son of a cleaner, and, of course, with a background in policing.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We will be selecting a candidate in due course.”

The South London Weekly is an independent newspaper covering all of south London and beyond Community Matters Media has been running independent newspapers since 1987, and now boasts the weeklies: South London Weekly, Southwark News and Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender, as well as the lifestyle magazines The South Londoner and Bermondsey Biscuit & Rotherhithe Docker. You can view all our content on www.southlondon.co.uk and sign up to newsletters to stay informed about news, lifestyle & events, people, sport and history. We believe in community and in balanced, independent and responsible journalism. As a south London business, we also work to support fellow local businesses. A dedicated team of staff work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that community-led, independent newspapers can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

FOR ALL THE LATEST SOUTH LONDON NEWS AND SPORT: WWW.SOUTHLONDON.CO.UK Community Matters Media Ltd is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 0207 231 5258. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

NEWS 3

Our top free activities for the whole family this September...

5 THINGS TO DO IN SEPTEMBER

VISIT THE NEWLY-RESTORED DINOSAURS AT CRYSTAL PALACE PARK:

By Evie Flynn

PECKHAM RYE DOG SHOW:

Peckham Rye Common will host its annual fete and dog show on Saturday, September 5. The afternoon will feature a dog show, sack races, a coconut shy, Punch and Judy as well as food and drink stalls. The dog show is run by Paws and Pause, with profits donated to charity. Money raised from last year’s fete helped clear and restore the central rose beds in the Sexby Garden.

The dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park © Phil Gammon

Families can enjoy free movie mornings at the new Tower Bridge Food Hall this September, with two family favourites being shown on consecutive Saturdays. Aladdin will be screened on Saturday 12 September, followed by Peter Pan on Saturday, September 19. There are also 13 independent food partners

Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Rd, London SE20 Free, no ticket required

GET FREE BASKETBALL COACHING IN CAMBERWELL:

Saturday, September 5, 12–5pm Peckham Rye Common, SE15 3AB Free, no ticket required

FREE KIDS MOVIE CLUB, TOWER BRIDGE COLLECTIVE:

Families can now visit the Grade I-listed dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park following a major restoration project. The 172-year-old Victorian sculptures had been placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, but have now been removed following restoration work. Crystal Palace Park Trust, which co-delivered the project, said the dinosaurs had been restored to their “former glory” and now look as they did when they were first unveiled to Victorians in 1854.

Peckham Rye dog show

Free kids movies at Tower bridge Collective under one roof, offering plenty of options for the whole family to enjoy before or after the film. Saturdays September 12 and 19 September, 10am - 2pm 1 Horselydown Lane, SE1 2LJ Free, no ticket required towerbridgecollective.co.uk

EXPLORE THE WOODLAND FESTIVAL IN SYDENHAM HILL WOOD AND DULWICH WOOD:

Spend the afternoon exploring Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich Wood at a free family Woodland Festival hosted by London Wildlife Trust. The event will feature guided walks, creative activities, live music and art,

with nature experts on hand to answer questions and lead activities. Snacks and drinks will also be available to purchase. Saturday, September 19, 11am–3pm Main entrance: Crescent Wood Road, SE26 6LS Free, no ticket required wildlondon.org.uk

A newly painted games area on the D’Eynesford Estate in Camberwell is inviting local families to come and see its colourful new design, which spells out “Home” across the space. Free coached basketball sessions are taking place every Saturday morning from 11am, with sessions for boys and girls aged 8-12 and 13-17. The project has been organised by the D’Eynsford TMO, which is encouraging local families to make use of the newly refreshed space. D’Eynesford Estate, 38 Mary Datchelor Cl, London SE5 7AX Free, no ticket required

Nigel Road PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Dear Neighbour, As you may be aware, The Cherwell Group is bringing forward proposals for 55 Nigel Road, SE15 4NP. The proposals include purpose-built shared living homes for local people, public realm improvements on Nigel Road and Sternhall Lane, and a new and improved community space designed for SET Social. Following our initial public consultation events in July, the project team has continued to develop the proposals, taking into account feedback received from local residents, businesses and community groups. We are now ready to share more detail on the emerging scheme and would like to invite you to a second round of consultation events to view the updated plans. The consultation events will take place at:

SET Social 55 Nigel Road London SE15 4NP

Monday 14th September 2026 From 5pm to 8pm Tuesday 15th September 2026 From 5pm to 8pm Drop in at any time. If you are unable to attend either event, consultation materials will be made available on the project website following the exhibitions, where you will also be able to provide your views on the proposals to the project team.

55nigelroad.co.uk feedback@55nigelroad.co.uk FREEPOST RESIDENT CONSULTATION 0800 0983914

Proposed aerial view of One Waterloo Photography by Jason Hawkes, CGI by PLP Architecture and InPLACE Design

Introducing One Waterloo HB Reavis is proposing a sustainable, mixed-use destination. Great for the community, local economy and the environment.

Attend a consultation event to have your say Visit our website to find out more www.onewaterlooconsultation.co.uk

4 NEWS

THE WETHERSPOON’S ON PECKHAM HIGH STREET COULD BE TURNED INTO A BINGO HALL

The Kentish Drovers on Peckham High Street is a JD Wetherspoon pub

By Ruby Gregory Local Democracy Reporter A JD Wetherspoon pub in Peckham could be turned into a bingo hall under fresh plans.

The Kentish Drovers on Peckham High Street was first put up for sale in July of last year and was reportedly listed for offers worth more than £1 million on a long leasehold. In February of this year, the pub was still up for sale but with a reported asking price of more than £900,000.

As of August, the pub is still on the market but its asking price has been reduced again, and is now accepting offers of more than £750,000. When The Kentish Drovers was put up for sale last year, Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said it will continue to operate as a Wetherspoon until it is sold. He told the News Shopper: “We can confirm that The Kentish Drovers has been placed on the market by Wetherspoon. The company, does on occasion, put some of its pubs up for

The Kentish Drovers was put on sale last year and is accepting offers of £750,000

sale and this is the case here.” Fresh plans from an applicant called LCE Property Ltd were submitted to Southwark Council’s planning portal on August 19, which could see the pub transformed into a bingo hall. According to a planning statement, the applicant’s aim is to “attract patrons of all ages” and wants the bingo hall to be seen as a “community orientated venue”. A planning statement reads: “Beyond the gambling aspect, these venues act as vital social hubs that encourage local

interaction, build relationships, and help reduce loneliness for participants. “It reuses commercial floorspace, causes no unacceptable amenity impacts and enhances vitality and viability in our ever declining high streets.” The plans consist of a change of use on the ground floor and basement, which is currently occupied by Wetherspoon. It is understood that existing access to the upper floor residential units will still be maintained. No extensions or outside alterations

are planned, and the building’s height, scale, massing and appearance will remain unchanged. The planning statement said the plans represent a “sustainable reuse of an existing building” and maintains the “quality and character of the local environment, and supports a vibrant town centre”. According to Southwark Council’s planning portal, the plans are currently in the consultation stage. Local residents and businesses have until September 16 to share their views on the application.

New queer bar The Nellie opens in Elephant and Castle It is the same team behind Queer Comedy Club and Betty & Joan’s By Myfanwy Fleming-Jones A NEW LGBTQ+ neighbourhood bar has opened in Elephant Park, with its founders hoping to create a space where people can “sit, talk, have a drink and spend time with people you like”.

The Nellie has been opened by Milli Group, the independent hospitality and entertainment team behind The Queer Comedy Club and Betty & Joan’s. The new venue describes itself as a “local living room”, with a focus on conversation, community and creating a welcoming neighbourhood atmosphere rather than programmed entertainment. David Ian, CEO of Milli Group, said: “The idea behind The Nellie is really

simple: we wanted to create the kind of bar we wanted to go to ourselves. “There are brilliant places to go when you want a big night out, but sometimes you want somewhere you can actually sit, talk, have a great drink and spend

time with people you like. “We kept describing it as a local living room – somewhere that feels comfortable enough to become part of your life that also serves great cocktails. “We’re proudly LGBTQ+ owned and

that absolutely shapes who we are, but being queer, for us, is about creating more space, not less. The Nellie is for the whole neighbourhood.” The opening adds to Elephant & Castle’s growing LGBTQ+ scene, with

the team behind the new spot saying they want it to appeal to local residents, friends and allies as well as the wider queer community. It comes after the return of Elephant Pride to Elephant Park this summer, which brought thousands of people to the area to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and community. Ian said the event demonstrated the appetite for queer spaces in the area, but said The Nellie’s success would ultimately be measured by its role as an everyday local. “Elephant Pride showed us just how much energy there is in this community. More than anything, though, we want The Nellie to work on an ordinary Tuesday. “Success for us is people saying, ‘Shall we just go to The Nellie?’ without having to think about it.” The opening is part of the continued growth of Elephant & Castle’s independent hospitality scene, as new venues bring more activity to the area’s evening economy. Elephant Park, SE17 1GQ. Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm11pm, Friday 5pm-midnight, Saturday 11am-midnight, Sunday 11am-10pm. thenellie.co.uk

NEWS 5

GEORGE, THE PEARLY KING OF PECKHAM PASSED AWAY AT 88 He is said to be the real-life inspiration for Del Boy By Alex Orr

raise funds for a celebration of her father George’s life. She wrote: “Our family are extremely grateful for all the love and kindness everyone has shown and also the memories that have been shared with us.” “We want to be able to give him a truly Pearly King ceremony as he deserves,” Janet added. “We appreciate any donations, big or small.” Everyone will be welcome to the celebration for George, and the family have said any money leftover from the fundraiser will be donated to charities such as The Childhood Trust, a child poverty charity in London, as well as local food banks. Janet wrote: “Up the apples and pears to the pearly gates where he now rests in peace.” You can donate to the fundraiser by searching for George Major on GoFundMe.

George in his trademark suit

TRIBUTES HAVE been pouring in for George Major, the Pearly King of Peckham, who passed away earlier this month. George, who was 88 years old, died on August 1 surrounded by three generations of his family, his daughter Janet said on Facebook. “It is with heavy hearts, but immense pride in a life so fully lived, that we share the passing of our beloved Dad, George Major,” she wrote. “To many, he was the Pearly King of Peckham—a proud Londoner who brought joy, tradition, and charity to everyone around him. To us, he was the heart of our family, a dad, granddad, and friend whose spirit and warmth will stay with us forever. “We know how much he meant to so many of you in the community.” Tributes poured in for George on social media, with so many honouring the Pearly King and the impact he had on the local community in Peckham and beyond. Users on Facebook called George a “true cockney at heart”, “a truly wonderful character” and a “thoroughly lovely human”. George was crowned Pearly King of Peckham in 1958 at the age of 20, celebrated for his charity work and

commitment to preserving working-class cockney heritage. He was also reportedly the real-life inspiration behind Del Boy, the television character from Only Fools and Horses. George published an autobiography in 2008 titled The Hidden Whistle and Flute, the cockney rhyming slang for “suit” in tribute to his Pearly King suit covered in 22,000 pearl buttons. The book chronicled his childhood, describing how George had been abandoned by his mother in the 1940s and spent years trying to find her. He was drawn to the pearly king tradition from the age of eight because he knew the tradition was in his mother’s family but was later “packed off” to a school in Surrey by his “abusive father” and “truly terrifying maiden” Auntie Hilda, a summary of the book said. George fundraised tirelessly for charities far and wide, meeting many members of the Royal Family in the process, even having dinner with the late Queen and then-Duke of Edinburgh, King Charles III. He was passionate about maintaining the Pearly King and Queen tradition and leaving a legacy behind, using his life savings to build the world’s only Cockney Museum in Stoneleigh, Surrey, where many East End families have relocated. Janet has launched a GoFundMe to

6 NEWS

LONDON BIG HALF

25,000 runners to race through Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich this weekend

The event starts at 8:30am on Sunday, September 6 in Tower Hamlets

By Myfanwy Fleming-Jones THE LONDON “Big Half” halfmarathon will take place on Sunday, September 6, with runners racing through three South London boroughs.

The Big Half will begin just over the river in Tower Hamlets, taking participants along the Thames to Canary Wharf and back across Tower Bridge, heading through Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Deptford on their way to the finish line at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. More than 25,000 people are registered for the half-marathon, with 7,300 runners from over 400 community groups across the capital taking part. Groups taking part include Bloodlines, the NHS-supported campaign encouraging blood donation among black communities, Roll & Run, an inclusive run club for all, and REP Runners, a highenergy run crew founded by Deptford local Saheed Mustapha in 2017. REP Runners were given the

opportunity to design the event’s finisher T-shirt and medal, which will be worn by thousands of participants, with the final design set to be revealed next week. Speaking in the build-up to the event, Saheed said: “To know that 20,000 people are going home with a REPdesigned medal and T-shirt gives me such a sense of pride that I never thought I’d experience. “Running has quite literally changed my life, and I have always wanted to share that positive high that a run can give you. “When designing the medal and T-shirt, we wanted to celebrate the achievement of finishing, regardless of finish time. We wanted every Big Half finisher to have a reminder that they accomplished something amazing and should be super proud.” Founder of North London-based training club Acre Palm, Felix Morton, will be taking part in the 13.1 mile course dressed as a palm tree in memory of his mum who died last year. Felix, who is fundraising for Black

Women Rising, a charity which supports women of colour during cancer treatment, said: “At Acre Palm we train for something more than performance. We train for life and want to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. “Running a half marathon dressed as a palm tree won’t be easy, but it’s all for a bigger purpose, and I want to raise as much money and awareness as possible.” Sanaa Qureshi, Community Engagement Manager at London Marathon Events and Event Lead for the Big Half, said: “The Big Half is so unique because it puts communities at the heart of the event. Every year we’re inspired by the incredible range of groups that take part, each bringing their own story and sense of purpose. “Whether you’re taking on the Big Half or teaming up for the New Balance Big Relay or doing the Big Mile, there is something for everyone at the Big Half and that helps to make the event a true celebration of London’s diversity, energy and community spirit.”

Wear it with pride! By Alex Orr THE T-SHIRT and medal handed to runners who finish this weekend’s “Big Half” half-marathon has been designed by Lewisham local, Saheed Mustapha.

Saheed, who grew up in Deptford, is the founder of REP Runners, a Central London-based running group that started in 2017 with just seven members. Now with roughly 280 members of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, REP Runners has grown into one of London’s most vibrant and recognisable run crews. More than 400 community groups will be running this year’s “Big Half, so when REP founder Saheed was told he had been given the opportunity to design the T-shirt and medal for this year’s event, he said he thought he had been pranked. “I had to read the email about four times,” he laughed, “I was close to getting really emotional.” Saheed added: “The fact that our logo is on the medal is so empowering, humbling and uplifting. It just shows that we started this from nothing with an honest setup to try to help people celebrate their miles, and now we get to share that with 20,000 people on race day.

“It’s very humbling but also very, very rewarding.” Deptford born and raised, Saheed said he had “fond memories” of watching marathon runners race past his childhood home, which was located at mile 11 of the Big Half route and mile eight of the full marathon. With seven half marathons under his belt, Saheed is a huge fan of the “Big Half” route: “It’s great. Tower Bridge is the most iconic part, which is lovely to run over on a closed road condition. “Running through Deptford and past my house is so nostalgic, and I know the route quite intimately, so I know where I am at any given point in time.” Saheed said he founded REP in 2017 with his friend Richard with the goal of supporting people’s running achievements “whether it’s one mile or 50 miles”. “That’s the beauty of what REP is about,” he added, “everyone is a winner, whether you’ve come first or last in a race, it’s about finishing. Running is a solo sport, but we try and make it as community-based as possible,” he said. The REP-themed T-shirt and medal will be awarded to everyone who completes the “Big Half” on Sunday. The medal designed by Saheed and REP Runners

NEWS 7

OLIVER BONAS CONFIRMED AS LATEST ADDITION TO THE ELEPHANT’S NEW SHOPPING CENTRE

It’s set to open in later this year

A CGI drawing of the Elephant, the new £500m town centre at Elephant and Castle

EXCLUSIVE By Evie Flynn THE HOMEWARE and clothes store Oliver Bonas is the latest shop confirmed to open in the Elephant’s new £500 million town centre.

Developer Get Living has confirmed that Oliver Bonas will open in late 2026 and join well known brands such as M&S food, Blank Street Coffee and Everyman Cinema. The chain sells clothes, homeware, jewellery and gifts and there are currently 30 in London already, including one at Waterloo Station. The new town centre at the Elephant will be built on the site of the former 1960s shopping centre by the roundabout, which was demolished in 2020. Some local residents on FaceBook has expressed concern at the price of some of the goods at Oliver bonas. One user commented: “Never understood the point of Oliver Bonas. They seem to sell everything and nothing: clothes, mugs, cards, basically a glorified charity shop.” Another said: “Oliver Bonas isn’t for the working class budget!” However, many users appear excited about the new addition, commenting: “I love Oliver Bonas” and another praising the “nice things” it sells. Once complete, The Elephant will offer around 40 new shopping, dining, wellness

and leisure experiences from late 2026, with the full list to be confirmed. American coffee and matcha chain Blank Street became the first trader to open at the regeneration site in July this year. Get Living announced also announced that an Everyman cinema will open a fivescreen venue at the site, making it one of the largest of their 17 London locations. Meanwhile, work continues on a new

ticket hall for Elephant and Castle station, which will include three escalators providing step-free access between the Northern line platforms and street level. The improvements are not expected to be completed until at least 2029.

WHAT SHOPS ARE CONFIRMED ALREADY?

Oliver Bonas will join the following the following shops:

• Blank Street Coffee (open already) • M&S food • Jungle Berry cafe • Everyman Cinema • Pret A Manger • Superdrug • DistriAndina latin food market • Bird and Blend Aidan Malia, Senior Director, The Elephant, said: “Oliver Bonas is a fantastic addition to The Elephant,

joining an already strong mix of retail, food & drink and leisure operators, from Blank Street, M&S and Everyman to independent Latin American food market DistriAndina, and speciality tea brand Bird & Blend. “With more brands to be announced soon, its arrival continues to build on the momentum we are seeing at The Elephant and we look forward to welcoming them to the community.”

Theatre Peckham to bring local talent to Canada Water says its work extends beyond preparing young people for careers in the creative industries. The organisation aims to equip those who come through its doors with the skills, confidence and opportunities to shape their own futures, regardless of whether they pursue a career in the arts. The Canada Water Theatre takeover will give Theatre Peckham another space to develop artists and present new work, while providing Southwark audiences with greater access to performances and cultural activity. One of its first major programmes at the venue will be the Young, Gifted and Black 2026 season, Theatre Peckham’s

By Myfanwy Fleming-Jones THEATRE PECKHAM has been reappointed by Southwark Council to manage Canada Water Theatre, expanding its work supporting young and emerging artists across South East London.

Theatre Peckham, which has spent the past 40 years nurturing young and emerging talent, will use the Canada Water venue as a space for artists to develop new ideas, showcase work and connect with audiences in the local community. The organisation works with children and young people aged three to 29 through a year-round programme of artist development, productions, workshops and festivals. Theatre Peckham CEO and artistic director Dr Suzann McLean MBE said: “From a three-year-old taking their first steps in our Academy to a young artist presenting new work, Theatre Peckham creates opportunities for people to discover their talent, build confidence and find their voice. “For 40 years we’ve seen the difference that sustained creative opportunities can make to young people’s lives and to the creative industries. At Canada Water,

we’re bringing that same commitment to artists, young people and audiences, creating a theatre that is genuinely rooted in and shaped by its local community.” Theatre Peckham works with organisations including the National Theatre, Poetic Unity, Mountview, Young and Talented, Step Out Mentoring, AKTA, Words of Colour and the Black Cultural Archives to help young creatives develop their skills and ambitions. Its Young Peckham programme also

provides opportunities for early-career artists to develop and showcase new work, including through Peckham Fringe and the organisation’s year-round performance programme. More than 24,000 contact hours of creative activity are delivered by Theatre Peckham each year, with thousands of children, young people, artists and local residents engaging with its programmes. Former participants include actor John Boyega, although Theatre Peckham

annual celebration of young Black British talent. The season brings together spoken word, performance and cultural exchange, with a programme of work exploring the richness and diversity of Black British life and culture. As part of Theatre Peckham’s 40th anniversary celebrations, 13 productions will take place across Theatre Peckham and Canada Water Theatre between October 1 and 30. Tickets start at £10. Theatre Peckham’s latest programme at Canada Water Theatre is available through Canada Water Theatre - Theatre Peckham.

8 NEWS

©Get Living

£5,000 UP FOR GRABS FOR ELEPHANT & CASTLE ARTISTS Applications close on Monday 28th September

By Evie Flynn

The commission includes:

Developer Get Living has launched a £5,000 open call invite to artists with a ‘genuine connection to Elephant & Castle’ to design a new piece of public art.

The chosen artwork will be part of a new entrance way to the new Elephant neighbourhood and will be placed behind the Corsica Studios site on Elephant Road. Artists and designers who either live, study or have artistic links to Elephant and Castle need to submit their designs by Monday 28th September. The commission needs to fit the theme ‘Basslines of the Elephant’, drawing inspiration from music, sounds, rhythm and movement. The brief is also the influenced by the legacy of Corsica Studios and the dance traditions of the Latin Quarter. All applications will be considered by Get Living representatives and Corsica Studios founder Adrian Jones. The artwork will then be printed onto concrete cladding panels and erected as a new ‘local landmark’.

Adrian Jones, Founder of Corsica Studios, said: “Music and art have long been cultural cornerstones of the Elephant & Castle community. “This is a great opportunity for artists with a personal connection to the area to channel its rich and diverse cultural heritage into a highly visible installation that will be enjoyed by locals and visitors for years to come.” Diana Barranco, Partnerships Director at Get Living, said: “As The Elephant continues to grow, we want the

Elephant Park neighbourhood’s public spaces to reflect the creativity and culture that have long been part of Elephant & Castle. “This commission is a chance for an artist who knows the area to make their mark on a prominent gateway to The Elephant. We’re excited to see how they draw on the area’s music, movement and cultural energy to create something memorable for residents, visitors and the wider community.” For more information on the brief and to apply, visit: corporate.getliving.com/ the-elephant-artist-brief/

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©Get Living

• A £5,000 artist design fee (all fabrication and installation costs will be met by Get Living) • The opportunity to create a highly visible public artwork • Concept development and feedback with Get Living, Corsica Studios founder Adrian Jones and Cultural Transitions, the arts advisory company managing the commission • Production and installation funded and managed by Get Living

Corsica Studios

NEWS 9

Waterloo becomes Britain’s first major station to introduce regular dog patrols By Alex Orr LONDON WATERLOO has become Britain’s first major station to introduce regular dog patrols.

©Danielle Leslie / Tudum – Netflix

Canine colleagues Riley, Buster and Flo are now part of the South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex) team at the station. Riley, aged 11, and Buster, aged 9, are

Staff at the station now wear high-vis jackets

both Cocker Spaniels, while 10-yearold Flo is a Labrador. It will be the dogs’ last deployment before their retirement. They began their patrols earlier this month, with SWR confirming the move was not linked to any additional threat, but part of ongoing work to strengthen security and reassure customers. The patrol is part of a three-month trial, aiming to offer an added

LEWISHAM LOCALS STAR IN NETFLIX’S LOVE IS BLIND

deterrent and help staff maintain a safe environment. Dan Harrison, Station Manager for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex at London Waterloo, said: “Security needs constant innovation and we’re taking positive steps to reassure our customers that we take their safety very seriously. “Deploying these dogs is not linked to any increased threat,

It is just ‘As You Like it’ in Bankside Arts Joseph and Francesca

By Alex Orr Two Lewisham locals got married on this year’s season of Love Is Blind: UK. 33-year-old Joseph

is a project manager from Lewisham, who now lives in the Dartford, while Francesca, 29, is an HR associate from Forest Hill. They got engaged on the third season of the UK version of the show, which aired earlier this month. The reality TV programme, hosted by Emma and Matt Willis on Netflix, is a “dating experiment” which sees men and women date without seeing each other, separated by a screen,

eventually falling in love and getting engaged. Prior to the start of the series, each contestant was interviewed about what they were looking for in a partner. Forest Hill local Francesca said she was looking for a lasting, committed relationship like that of her parents, while self-proclaimed “geek” Joseph, born and bred in Lewisham, said he wanted to meet someone who shares his Christian faith. The two South London residents found that in each other, eventually getting married after Joseph’s mother gave them her blessing at the lastminute.

page 17

it’s simply part of providing more visual deterrence and offering our customers some additional reassurance.” Harrison added: “In the same way, we recently equipped all our colleagues with new hi-vis tabards to make them more easily identifiable to customers in the station who might need their help.” SWR and NR Wessex partnered

with Alpha Canine Specialists to deliver the programme. Other recent safety measures at Waterloo include equipping staff with body-worn cameras to tackle assaults and abuse, launching a renewal and upgrade of CCTV, and investing in a South Bank BID outreach worker, who engages with vulnerable young people around the station.

©South Western Railway

WATERLOO STATION’S PAW PATROL

10 NEWS

CAN ANDY BURNHAM REALLY END HOMELESSNESS IN SOUTHWARK? What is the current situation on the ground?

NEWS 11

Burnham (C) alongside former Deputy Leader of Southwark Council Jasmine Ali (L)

EXCLUSIVE By Alex Orr ENDING HOMELESSNESS in Southwark is not something that will happen overnight, an experienced member of a local homeless charity has said.

The admission from Ben Morgan, Complex Case Co-ordinator on the Southwark team at St. Mungo’s, comes little more than a week after Prime Minister Andy Burnham launched a national drive to “get everyone in for Christmas”. St. Mungo’s, a homeless charity that supports more than 3,150 people every night across London and the South East, has deployed an outreach team in Southwark for nearly 20 years, helping rough sleepers get off the streets and find the right support. But Ben, who manages the charity’s Southwark navigator service, working with longer-term rough sleepers already known to the charity and gradually supporting them back into accommodation, said the homelessness sector had been given a particular “focus” by Burnham’s plan. According to data from UK-wide homeless charity Shelter, Southwark has the ninth worst homelessness problem in the country, with one in every 36 of the borough’s residents without a home. Most of the borough’s homeless are living in temporary accommodation, with more than 4,200 households currently in temporary housing in Southwark and a further 23,000 on the waiting list. But many also end up on the streets, with the government now setting out a clear strategy, headed up by local South London MP Florence Eshalomi, to change that.

Christ Church Southwark

Southwark has the ninth worst homelessness problem in the country, with one in every 36 of the borough’s residents without a home WHAT’S THE CURRENT SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN SOUTHWARK?

On any given night in Southwark, roughly 40 people are sleeping rough, according to the government’s autumn snapshot. Since 2017, that figure has stayed broadly consistent, except during the pandemic, when the number of rough sleepers on a single night fell to just 10 as the homeless were housed and put up in hotels with emergency funding. Asked about whether he had noticed an increase in people sleeping on the streets recently, Ben said: “I’m not across all the stats, but one thing I can say is that we, as a team, meet a lot of rough sleepers. “There’s a lot of new people entering onto the streets.” He said the numbers are “reasonably high”, as confirmed by the Shelter data, with the St Mungo’s Southwark team making it a key priority to reduce longterm rough sleeping by 50% by 2029. When the government released the statutory homelessness figures earlier this month, showing 83,850 households in the UK were owed support to prevent or relieve homelessness, with hundreds of those in Southwark, CEO of St Mungo’s Emma Haddad said: “Today’s figures show why the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping is so important.

“There have been small improvements in some areas, but the overall picture remains stark.” Haddad said the end of a privatelyrented tenancy remains the most common reason people lose their homes, adding the Renters’ Rights Act, brought into effect by the government earlier this year, should have a positive effect across the country. This will be particularly true in South London, where high housing costs and rising rents play a key role in pushing people out of the borough and, sometimes, onto the streets.

IS BURNHAM’S GOAL REALISTIC?

Burnham’s bid to get everyone in for Christmas has been backed by a £442 million increase in funding, with the areas in the most need set to receive the largest share. This will include emergency accommodation but also the offer of practical help with housing, health and other needs, as well as greater financial support, worth £47 million, for charities, faith groups and community organisations. But even with this much-needed boost, Ben was unsure that the new Prime Minister’s goal could be achieved by December. “It does seem like quite an ambitious proposal,” he admitted, “but I think that

The empty modular homes for rough sleepers in Bermondsey

we’ve got to be ambitious to try and tackle the real problem of homelessness and rough sleeping. “I do think it’s a really good thing to focus the sector on Christmas.” Ben said the funding for emergency accommodation, as seen during the pandemic, would certainly have a shortterm impact, but what comes after would be more important. “People often reference ‘everybody in’ during COVID, which was brilliant and really did reduce the numbers of rough sleeping. But there are always complexities to that and the longerterm rough sleepers are people who are less likely to benefit from initiatives like that.” For Ben, it is important to differentiate between new rough sleepers and those who have been on the streets for a long time. The second group, who he engages with every day, tend to have more complex needs, relating to physical health, disabilities, mental health and addiction issues, as well as negative experiences with temporary accommodation or the justice system in the past. Helping those rough sleepers off the streets for good is a longer-term process and not something that can be achieved overnight, or even in a matter of months, Ben added. The St Mungo’s CEO echoed this point, saying: “Homelessness is about far more than a lack of housing. Most households seeking help have additional support needs, underlining the need for investment in mental health, substance use and wider support services alongside secure housing.”

WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?

Ben was most optimistic about the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, the £47 million earmarked for community organisations which will

go towards day centres or “rough sleeper hubs” as part of a more holistic approach to dealing with homelessness. He said: “These services that are essential lifelines for a lot of rough sleepers don’t receive the same amount of funding as other commissioned services. So, I really welcome this policy announcement.” Ben’s team, alongside other partners, set up a rough sleeper hub called the Pilgrim’s Rest, based at Christ Church Southwark on Blackfriars Road, which was able to secure some of the new funding. The Pilgrim’s Rest is a project that supports rough sleepers every week, providing a space to meet their practical needs, with showers, laundry facilities and specialist care on site, while also offering social connection through games of table tennis and shared meals. Ben said community-based hubs like the Pilgrim’s Rest were essential, as they attract longer-term rough sleepers who might be more distrustful of the more formal system. Once they’re there, the team at St Mungo’s is able to work collectively with different agencies, such as mental health, physical health and addiction services, to give them the help they need when they otherwise might have slipped through the cracks. Asked about whether some people do just prefer to stay on the street, Ben said: “I’ve worked with some people who have been on the streets for a long time. Some people might say they don’t want help and support but, actually, when you get to know them and you ask them what they do want, they say they want accommodation but not a particular type due to past negative experiences.” He added many rough sleepers with complex needs struggle with the process of re-entering the system, saying: “There are definitely people we work with who really struggle to engage with the processes of homeless applications and assessments. “Often these people struggle with addiction or neurodiversity, meaning that sitting through an hourlong assessment or attending an appointment in an office block is really difficult. “That’s a massive barrier.” Ben said the team at St Mungo’s would continue to support all rough sleepers in Southwark, even those who repeatedly reject help at first: “We have what we like to call an assertive outreach approach, meaning we don’t take no for an answer. “If someone says, ‘I don’t want any help’, we’ll say, ‘that’s fine’, but we’re going to come back and check in again and again.” According to Ben, it is crucial to tailor the provision of homelessness services to meet people “where they’re at” and best serve their needs. He added: “That’s the challenge. It’s the challenge for outreach workers, a challenge for the council, and a challenge for all services to adapt to how we meet the needs of people who have been out for a long time and have complex needs.” It remains to be seen whether Burnham’s Christmas drive will be successful in Southwark and beyond, but Ben was certain that everyone would be able to move off the streets one day. “With time, people do make changes,” he said. “We think that everyone on the streets with the right support in place and the right sort of trust and relationships with their support workers will eventually be able to move off the streets in a positive direction.”

12 NEWS

NEW GREEN COUNCILLOR LAUNCHES WEEKLY CLEAN UP IN PECKHAM The council has also completed the clean -up of the Albion Channel in Rotherhithe

A NEW Green councillor on Southwark Council has started a weekly meet-up to clean up Peckham.

Every Sunday morning, Councillor Ryan Cox organises a voluntary litter picking session in an effort to clean up the estates, parks and streets in his local Peckham ward. Councillors are joined by local residents, who volunteer their time to pick up litter in areas needing “a bit of extra attention”. Speaking about his new voluntary initiative, Cllr Cox said: “What I really like about the litter picks is that they are about much more than picking up rubbish. “People are giving up part of their Sunday because they care about where they live and want to do something practical to make it better. “There’s something very positive about a group of people just turning up, getting stuck in and leaving somewhere looking better than when they arrived.” Cllr Cox said the sessions are a great way of meeting residents who may find his regular councillor surgery at Peckham Library “quite intimidating”. He added: “Some people might think their concern is too small to raise, while others have something complicated going on and aren’t sure who they should speak to or whether the council can help. “Often, it’s much easier to have that conversation while you’re out and

about. “Someone might mention an issue while we’re walking along a street or picking up litter in a park, and we can then help them work out where to go next. “It’s a small thing, but making the council feel more approachable and helping people get through what can sometimes seem like a maze of services really matters.” The Surrey Canal Path, just off Peckham High Street, is a frequent destination for Cllr Cox and his team of community volunteers. “It’s such a fantastic local asset and looks so much better when it’s free of litter,” he said. He added: “The council’s cleaning teams do an excellent job, but keeping Peckham clean isn’t something the council can do alone. We all have a part to play. “And that’s probably what I find most encouraging. A few hours on a Sunday can mean a cleaner street, a conversation with a neighbour, someone getting help with an issue they’ve been struggling to navigate, or another resident deciding they want to get involved too. “It’s a simple thing, but it’s a good example of what a council should be – listening, caring, being visible in the community and making it easier for people to get involved and get the help they need.” Elsewhere in the borough, the council’s clean up of the Albion Channel in Rotherhithe has been completed after six months of works.

Councillor Ryan Cox (R) during a cleanup session

By Alex Orr

A before (L) and after (R) of the Albion Channel works in Rotherhithe

Southwark Greens challenge Peckham MP over North Sea oil

Fahnbulleh’s decision on whether to open the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas projects is expected soon

By Alex Orr

Council Leader James McAsh called on Fahnbulleh to reject development consent for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas projects, after the public consultation ended two weeks ago. As Andy Burnham’s Energy Secretary, Fahnbulleh will have final say on the decision to open the new, undeveloped oil fields off the coast of Scotland, with the Greens arguing the costs outweigh the benefits. They said Peckham, Fahnbulleh’s constituency, is one of the most at risk areas in the UK in terms of excessive

People across the world, now and for generations to come, need her to make the right decision.” The Greens noted Labour’s 2024 manifesto under Sir Keir Starmer committed the party to no new licenses for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, with Andy Burnham committed to the same mandate. They added the vast majority of Peckham residents support progressive politics and action on the environment, after Starmer’s Labour and the Greens, who pledged to cancel the Rosebank project, received almost 80% of votes at the last general election. Mayor of Southwark Cllr Claire Sheppard said: “Southwark already recognises excessive heat as a serious risk. “We have residents living in homes

that are vulnerable to overheating, and this summer has shown again that extreme heat is a real public health issue, not an abstract future threat.” According to a University of Manchester study, Southwark has the sixth highest number of priority neighbourhoods for heat adaptation (91) in the country, worsened by the high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and health inequalities within the borough. Cllr Reginald Popoola said: “Peckham is one of the highest heat-risk parts of Southwark, an area identified as the sixth-highest heat-risk part of the country in a 2022 study. “Here, the climate emergency already means tens of thousands of people baking in homes that simply were not built for the heat – we have to do

Council Leader James McAsh with a Forest e-bike © Southwark Council

THE SOUTHWARK Green Party has challenged Peckham MP and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to reject new oil and gas projects in the North Sea.

heat, which would only be made worse by fossil fuel expansion. The Greens also highlighted some of the Energy Secretary’s previous posts on X before joining the cabinet, including one from 2022 which read: “We should also put an end to new fossil fuel projects, stop businesses from funding them, & create an international #GreenNewDeal.” McAsh said: “Miatta Fahnbulleh understands the case for moving away from fossil fuels. She has previously said that reliance on fossil fuels was at the root of the energy crisis. “That is why we are appealing to her better judgement, and asking her to stand by her principles and reject Jackdaw and Rosebank. “The people of Peckham want their MP to make the right decision.

everything possible to stop the situation getting even worse.” He added: “Miatta Fahnbulleh is not only the Secretary of State responsible for this decision, she is also the MP for the people of Peckham. “We are asking her to act in the best interests of the people she represents.”

14 NEWS By Cameron Blackshaw Local Democracy Reporter PLANS TO restore David Bowie’s childhood home in Bromley and turn it into a tourist attraction have been slammed as “horrendous, naïve and sloppy” by locals.

Concerns about parking, an entrance currently taken up by a pub’s bins, 45-people late night events and a three-metre tall visitor centre in a small suburban garden have all been raised by neighbours. The immediate neighbour to 4 Plaistow Grove—the house where the British music icon lived from age 8 to 20—said she had felt “sick” since the announcement of the Bowie House project earlier this year. Ruth Dickie stated: “I am having my right to my home taken away from me.” The Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) has submitted a planning application to Bromley Council to restore the two-storey terraced house to what it looked like during the 1960s and build a visitor centre in the garden. HOLT said the Bowie House—which is expected to attract around 20,000 annual visitors—would provide fans with an “immersive experience” exploring his childhood home. The small 14sqm visitor centre would contain a shop and a screening room. The restoration process would use “surviving photographs, analysis of original decoration, recollections of visitors from the past and original items from the house” to bring it back to how it would have looked when Bowie lived there. A HOLT spokesperson said: “Celebrating the role Bromley and South London played in the early life of David Bowie, one of the UK’s most successful musical artists, is at the heart of our proposals for 4 Plaistow Grove. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring his house to life again and create an inspirational visitor experience which will bring value to the area and which local people can be proud of. We have had a brilliant response to the project and look forward to continuing to work with local residents as we develop the project.” The current plans for the Bowie House would see it open six days a week in the summer and five in the winter, opening at 10am and closing at 6pm in summer and 5pm in winter.

‘BOWIE BLUES’ Residents concerned over plans for the childhood home of David Bowie

David & Cat C.195 6on Plianstow Grove. Credit: David Bowie Estate.

©-Duffy-Archive-The-David-Bowie-Archive™

‘THE SAFEGUARDING OF OUR STREET IS THREATENED’

Although the proposal has been welcomed by Bowie fans across London and much of the world, those living closer to the rock star’s former home fear this new attraction will ruin their quiet residential street. Chair of Plaistow Grove Residents Association, Julie Davies, said: “The safeguarding of this Grove is threatened completely by the number of people who are strangers to this place who are going to come and invade it.” Ruth Dickie who lives directly next door to the Bowie House. She said she had felt “sick” since the announcement of the project. The 3.06m-tall visitor centre would be located right next to her garden fence. She fears the peaceful nature of her domestic life will be compromised once 20,000 people visit the house she shares a wall with every year. Ruth’s husband Jim passed away nearly two years ago. She never intended to leave Plaistow Grove as she cherishes the home they spent their last

4 Plaistow Grove, the David Bowie House. Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

years together in. The announcement of the Bowie House project has made her reconsider. Ruth said: “This is the house that my husband and I spent his last years. He had Parkinson’s and dementia so this was a safe place for him. The garden here was our solace. I pottered while he sat. “I love this house. We both loved it. I love it all the more because it’s the last place we shared after 56 years of marriage. I had no intention of ever wanting to leave it. Now, I’m not sure

anymore. “I don’t want to leave it, but I’m not sure that this will be the place for me to stay. All it makes me now think is that I am having my right to my home taken away from me.” HOLT said the 3.06m-tall visitor centre would be in line with other nearby garden buildings, even though it would stretch nearly a metre above Ruth’s garden fence. The trust said the centre was designed “explicitly to reduce our impact on nearby properties”. It added: “By ensuring that visitors are kept on site, briefed within an enclosed building, and spend a limited amount of time within the garden, we will all act to reduce both visual and auditory impact for our neighbours while reducing unnecessary complexity.”

PLAN IN ITS CURRENT FORM ‘NOT VIABLE’

Many of Ruth’s neighbours said they were “shocked” when they first heard news of the project. None of them had been informed before it was announced to the world on January 8 – what would have been the music icon’s 79th birthday. Julie said: “I had a phone call from

Australia from a friend who came to see me last year. She rang and said: ‘Your street is on the news in Australia’. I had no idea. We had no idea that this was all going on before the rest of the globe did.” Following the announcement, Plaistow Grove residents were invited to meetings but many felt these were more like exhibitions than consultations. Many felt as if their suggestions, such as establishing the visitor centre in somewhere less residential such as Bromley High

Street, have been ignored. Plaistow Grove resident Ollie Pain felt that the impact the house would have on neighbours was not being given enough consideration by project leaders. He said: “There was that initial arrogance and assumption in the way that they’ve gone about it that’s persisted throughout. “We’re not saying it’s a terrible idea and it can never happen, but rather the people who are running the outfit are dismissive and arrogant and the plan in its current form is not viable.” Despite what residents of Plaistow Grove have said, HOLT said it had been in “regular contact” with local residents regarding its plans. The trust carried out four events, the first being on January 20 after the public announcement, where they presented their plans and gave people the chance to provide feedback. The trust also said that as the proposals had evolved it had “wherever possible, sought to take on board feedback from all those who participated, including No. 4 Plaistow Grove’s immediate neighbours” Katie and Andrew Turner live opposite the Bowie house. Their 12-year-old son is a huge Bowie fan, so

NEWS 15

the Bowie House. It also said it would direct visitors to the site via bus and rail rather than by car.

much so that the family dog is named Ziggy. Katie has years of experience working in the museums and heritage industry, including stints at the National Trust, V&A and the Science Museum. She initially was excited by the Bowie House project, but now believes HOLT’s proposal is “naïve and sloppy”. She said: “What they are hoping to do is just far too extensive and extravagant for the site. They just want to operate something that isn’t what that site is.” Plaistow Grove residents believe HOLT is packing too much into the footprint of a small terraced two-storey house, especially the plans for the visitor centre in its garden.

EVENING EVENTS ‘COULD BE COCKTAIL PARTIES’

PUB LANDLADY CALLS PLANS ‘HORRENDOUS’

Specific problems they have identified with the Bowie House plans include its proposed entrance, a rear alley, which is currently taken up by four industrial sized bins used by The Crown pub and is used by residents to access their back gardens. The Crown’s landlady called the proposal “horrendous” and said HOLT had not contacted her until this month, after she let them know she intended to object to the planning application. The landlady, who wished to remain anonymous, said the rear alley was used several times a day for deliveries and there was nowhere else she could put the pub’s large bins. Evidence of the bins are nowhere to be found in the Bowie House planning documents despite the proposed entrance using this rear alley. HOLT were asked about what they proposed to do with the bins and provided no response. Parking is also a concern, although

Plaistow Grove residents Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon HOLT said visitors will be directed to park in the nearby Sundridge Park Village Car Park just three minutes’ walk away. However, as Plaistow Grove’s permits only offers daily one-hour restrictions to deter commuters, residents fear those arriving outside that time will choose to park on their road instead. Sundridge Park Village Car Park has

also been identified by Bromley Council as a potential site for future development of council housing. HOLT said it was unable to comment on these housing plans as the car park wasn’t within its site. The trust said it was in “detailed conversation” with Bromley Council regarding travel to the site and it

“remained confident” in bus and rail options available for future visitors. Sundridge Park Railway Station is two minutes’ walk from the Bowie House. HOLT said it expected most visitors to come from outside of South East England “with a high proportion visiting a number of London sites as tourists” who would be using public transport to visit

Within the Bowie House proposal there are plans to host up to 10 evening events a year that “may include activity like public curator tours, private tours or special programmed events”. Within planning documents, HOLT said “operating some premium evening events” would be needed to ensure the attraction was financially sustainable after opening hours were reduced to six days a week following the concerns of Plaistow Grove residents. Neighbours are now even more concerned about these evening events, speculating they could be cocktail parties or late-night celebrations. Planning documents state that these 10 annual events would attract around 45 people, and Plaistow Grove residents feel that 45 visitors packed into the small terraced house would likely create a noise nuisance, especially for Ruth next door. HOLT said these events would operate with restricted numbers, just as daytime visits to the site, and they would be “either a higher ticket cost for an exclusive viewing or by invitation to special guests”. Since the planning application to transform 4 Plaistow Grove was submitted to Bromley Council two months ago, it has received 58 objections and seven letters of support. The council is scheduled to make a decision on the scheme in late September. The full planning application can be viewed on Bromley Council’s planning portal at reference 26/02597/FPA.

SEND SCHOOL IS OPENING IN SOUTH WEST LONDON Richmond Council formally handing over the keys for the new Clarendon Riverside Centre, Petersham . Credit: Richmond Council

By Charlotte Lillywhite

Local Democracy Reporter A NEW school allowing more children with special educational needs to stay close to home will open in South West London for the upcoming academic year.

The new centre for the Clarendon School, in Petersham, has been completed and will open in September, after Richmond Council approved the plans in 2023. Clarendon Riverside Centre will provide up to 77 places for primary and secondary pupils with moderate learning difficulties and complex needs in the eastern part of Richmond borough, which has typically lacked such provision. The centre will be managed by the Auriga Academy Trust, which already runs the Clarendon School across three sites in Richmond for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – including a primary and secondary school. It will provide 95 extra places for Clarendon pupils in total, with 77 at the new school and the opening up of a further 18 at the existing sites. The school has ten classrooms and four specialist teaching spaces for art, drama, music, food technology and life skills. It also has a hall, kitchen, office

space, therapy rooms, group rooms and breakout areas, along with soft and hard play areas, a court and sensory garden outside. Lib Dem councillor Penny Frost said when the school was first approved: “It will be welcomed by all parents on the Richmond side [of the borough] because that avoids that daily journey across the river which is so tiring and trying for the young people… from the Richmond side who are having to go across the river to the splendid sites on the Hampton and Twickenham and Whitton sites, but nothing on our side. It’s been a long time coming to fruition.” Lib Dem councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education Committee, said she was looking forward to seeing students and staff benefit from the school’s facilities. Councillor Cambridge said: “Every child deserves a school where they are understood, encouraged and given the right support to succeed. The new Clarendon School will provide specialist spaces, modern facilities and a welcoming environment to help pupils build confidence, develop independence and reach their potential.” Lib Dem Council Leader Gareth Roberts added: “This is an important milestone for Clarendon School, local families and

our borough. By increasing the number of specialist places available locally, we can help more children access the right education and support without needing to travel outside the borough.”

Why Wh y do I g get et vacciinatted vaccinated? d?

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To protect my d friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable. Maria ffrom LONDON

To find out more, scan the QR code or visit www.nhs.uk/vaccinations

SCAN ME

ARTS 17

what’s on

Pressure on HMS Belfast

THE DAILY news is full of war and senseless killing somewhere in the world, and it never seems like it will ever stop. Perhaps all schoolchildren should learn about the futility of war so that they might become the generation who finally puts an end to it, writes Michael Holland.

I visited HMS Belfast today because it is always evolving; there is always something different to see, along with the old favourites. I started off in the gun turret, listening to the commentary and the sounds of big cannons firing, men shouting; you could

Brotherly love is hard to find at the start – the ruthless Duke Frederick has usurped the throne and his brother Duke Senior must leave the comforts of the court in the direction of the woods. Duke Senior’s friend Sir Rowland de Boys has died, and more bickering brothers enter the scene: Oliver and Orlando de Boys. Oliver is left in charge of his younger brother, but he mistreats Orlando and denies him an education. Fueled by outrage and pumped with adrenaline, Orlando manages to defeat the court wrestler in front of Duke Senior’s daughter Rosalind, who is duly impressed by Orlando’s display of strength and muscle. To balance out all this testosteronefilled feuding, we are introduced to a much more loving relationship: Rosalind and Celia, cousins and best friends. When love-struck Rosalind is also forced by her uncle to live in exile, Celia cannot envisage life without her cousin, and they both flee to the Forest of Arden, where they assume new identities. Tired of his brother’s abuse, Orlando also heads in

seemed as subdued as I was. Everyone did. Even though we were on a ship that survived much, we were surrounded by an aura of death. There was one last thing I had to see, and it was Pressure: The D-Day Decision, the exhibition that brought to life the negotiations, preparations, and planning between the Allies for the three days leading up to the big push to take back Europe and win the war, and coincides with the release of the film, Pressure, starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis. Inside the temporary exhibition on a scrap of paper, General Montgomery’s plan was to keep it simple, so he made a few notes on a page that he presented to his top commanders. James Stagg’s diary spoke of the differing opinions between the commanders leading up to D-Day. Stagg was the meteorologist who advised General Eisenhower to cancel the invasion for a day. ‘It is all a nightmare,’ he wrote. A helmet worn by Sgt Floyd Jakob ‘Bud’ Corrington, a paratrooper in the American 101st Airborne Division, was on display. With the poor weather, Bud was not dropped in the designated area and was killed in the ensuing battle. Only his helmet made it home. A letter by Eisenhower was intended to inspire every participating soldier in D-Day. It spoke of ‘a crusade’, of ‘hopes and prayers’ and having ‘full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle’. They were handed out as fighting men boarded aircraft and ships,

like flyers in the high street. Lieutenant Colonel James Robert Morgan, second in command of the British 12th Light Antiaircraft Regiment, used the reverse side to write home to his wife. He speaks of life being ‘very pleasant’ having ‘pork chops’ for lunch, everyone ‘in great spirits’ and ‘looking forward to a good scrap in the next few hours’. He ended with ‘I’ll soon be back with you both’, telling his wife to keep the letter ‘as a reminder of a terrific event in history’. I couldn’t see if James came through the scrap safely, so I checked him up. He did. He was a Southend boy, who went on to lead his battalion in liberating towns and villages in France, Belgium and Holland, and was awarded the M.B.E. Cauverville, near Caen, was one of those liberated villages. They have named a street after him, marking his gallantry for all time. Visit HMS Belfast and make sure you listen to all the commentary. But do put yourself in the shoes of those men, look beyond any heroics but imagine the shells being fired at you, the bullets coming for you and the family waiting anxiously at home for you. The Belfast, and all the Imperial War Museums, are not about glorifying war but the opposite, so visit the museums and see the terror of war, the horror of battle and learn from it.

In Arden, reality bends enough for Duke Senior not to recognise his own family and for Orlando to mistake Rosalind for a man. Freedom allows both cousins to unleash their desires, away from the stiffness of their noble upbringing. Lola Shalam displays excellent comedic timing as Rosalind/ Ganymede, playful and swooning while also controlling and, towards the end, hysterical. Gracie Oddie-James brings to life an equal part giggly and awkward Celia/Aliena, her frilly shepherdess outfit unleashing her innermost teenage angst once in the woods. Award-winning multi-hyphenate Charlie Josephine (co-

directing the show with Sean Holmes) makes gawky Orlando both endearing and humorous. Jonnie Broadbent steals the show as Touchstone, the court jester, wearing barely any clothes other than a diaper-like loincloth and over-the-knee stockings, regularly engaging with the audience in panto style. Female desire is at the centre of the play and this production in particular, where every woman, from the cousins devoted to each other to shepherdess Phoebe and goatherd Audrey, will be consumed by love for one or more people. Opening with a bare stage of blank canvases in the court of Duke Frederick,

we will see the shift to the Forest of Arden as artists paint trees before our eyes, adding details along the show, to culminate in four weddings where court and forest will collide in celebration and with a whole new set of outfits, this time with a Scandinavian style. With its regular breaking of the fourth wall, over-the-top costumes and spectacular cast, As You Like It makes the characters relatable to a modern audience and offers a night of open-air fun.

IWM HMS Belfast until 11th April 2027 Booking and full details about accompanying �ilm: https://www.iwm.org. uk/events/pressure-the-d-day-decision

A night of open-air fun

the direction of the forest, where he will spend his time consumed by thoughts of Rosalind. The costumes take us from the court – with its stiff crinolines, high pouf wigs, and ruffles galore – to the forest, where Rosalind assumes the male alias of Ganymede, an overly stylish shepherd, while her cousin Celia takes on the persona of Aliena, a panto-esque shepherdess that instantly brings to mind Little Bo Peep, her outfit a riot of pink, complete with bonnet and staff. The cousins find themselves sticking out like a sore thumb among the demure locals, with their ragged, beige clothing.

THIS SUMMER’S production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It at the Globe breathes new life into this pastoral comedy in a show filled with song and teenage hormones. Designer Paul Wills has outdone himself in this play where loud costumes tell their own story alongside a bare set and a feast of percussion led by musical director Katie Richardson, writes Eugenia Sestini.

feel the heat, the tension, the adrenaline rushing through your body and the fear of dying. I imagined it filled with sweating men on missions to kill or be killed. Drilled to the nth degree in routine, able to reload the guns in under eight seconds. You can hear them on the soundtrack: ‘One, 1000, two, 1000, three, 1000…Fire!’ I heard how HMS Belfast was integral to finishing off the German battleship, Scharnhorst, when it tried to intercept a convoy the Belfast was protecting. The Belfast was feared. I took a turn around the deck and looked at the changes made on both sides of the

Thames; many buildings replacing those destroyed by Hitler’s Luftwaffe. The people killed can never be replaced. I went down to the boiler room and the engine room; a descent via narrow stairs to cramped spaces that never had the aircon the Belfast has in some of its areas today. The engine room was a mass of gauges and pipes, pumps and switches, trip hazards galore. This was hell in a hull. On another deck, I got to steer the ship, taking my orders from the captain who shouted them down a tube; spinning the wheel this way and that as the numbers came through. Driving blind, hoping the officer above had a better view. I listened to how the Belfast pulverised the Normandy coastline at 5.30am on June 6th, 1944, D-Day, hoping to clear away the Germans before the Allies ran off the landing ships. They ran into machine gun fire, many not even reaching the beach before they fell under the hail of bullets. I visited the sick bay. You wouldn’t want to go there for real. Next up was the war in Korea. Governments fighting each other, but not government officials doing the dying. Yes, there were some peaceful post-war missions, but it’s the heroics that make the headlines, and most of the heroes died in action. In the NAAFI café, I tried to focus on the fern leaf in the froth of my latte, but struggled to shake the thoughts of wasted lives from my mind. I thought about striking up a conversation with the tourist family I shared a table with, but they

Until 25th October. Booking and full details: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

18 EVENTS

History Events A spectacular ceremony of light comes to the Thames A traditional Hindu ceremony will light up the banks of the Thames this September as part of a free afternoon celebrating Indian culture in Greenwich. The Ceremony of Light: Ganga Aarti on the Thames will take place at the Old Royal Naval College on Sunday, September 13, bringing together families and visitors for an afternoon of food, music, dance and entertainment. Organised by Chinmaya Mission UK as part of Totally Thames 2026, the event will culminate at dusk with a spectacular Ganga Aarti, a traditional ceremony of light offered in gratitude to the river. The ceremony has been practised for generations on the banks of the Ganga, one of India’s most sacred rivers, and will be recreated on the Thames in the heart of London. Before the ceremony, visitors can enjoy community stalls, food, live music and dance, with activities to keep younger visitors entertained. The event is free, but advance booking is essential. Date: Sunday 13th September Time: 4pm – 8pm Location: Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9NN Tickets: Free, booking required here: https://ornc.org/whats-on/ ceremony-of-light-ganga-aarti-on-the-thames/

Greenwich Park Queen’s Orchard Open Day Independent book fair comes to Lewisham An independent book fair is coming to Manor House Library in Lee this September, bringing together some of the UK’s smaller and more well-known publishers. The inaugural Indie Press Fair, presented by Calico Projects, will take place on Sunday, September 13, from 1pm to 7pm, with 11 independent publishers setting up stalls inside the library. Expect a wide range of books covering everything from fiction and poetry to non-fiction and memoir, with publishers including Conduit Books, Hajar Press, époque press and MOIST BOOKS. The afternoon will feature four talks and panels, including conversations with novelists Nell Osborne and Koushik Banerjea. Date: Sunday 13th September Time: 1pm – 7pm Location: Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, SE13 5SY Tickets: Tickets cost £8 and include a free drink on arrival. Book at tickettailor.com/events/indiepressfair

Head to Greenwich Park for a free open day at the historic Queen’s Orchard on Saturday, September 12. The tucked-away orchard, next to Greenwich Park Playground, will open its gates from 11am to 3pm for a day of gardening, food growing and nature-themed activities for all ages. Visitors can learn more about pollinators through a bee-themed game, make their own wildflower seed ball to take home, get gardening tips from the Head Gardener and even help give the orchard’s scarecrows a makeover. There will also be a seed swap, giving budding gardeners the chance to bring along seeds they have collected at home and swap them for seeds gathered from plants in the orchard. Or simply browse the seed library and chat to the volunteer gardeners about what to grow and when to sow it. The Queen’s Orchard has been part of Greenwich Park since the 17th century and was restored with the help of volunteers, with fruit trees, vegetable beds and ponds now filling the space. Date: Saturday 12 September Time: 11am – 3pm Location: Queen’s Orchard, Greenwich Park, SE10 9XQ Tickets: Free, no ticket required

Woolwich Carnival returns for its 10th anniversary

The annual celebration of community and culture is marking its 10th anniversary this year, bringing a full day of live performances, music, food, arts and crafts and free family-friendly activities to General Gordon Square and the Royal Arsenal. The event is the finale of Woolwich Summer Lates 2026, with plenty happening throughout the day before the celebrations end in a spectacular carnival parade. Expect dancers, musicians, local groups and schools to take to the streets, with the parade filling Woolwich with colour, music and dance There will also be food from a range of vendors, creative activities and entertainment for all the family. Date: Saturday 12 September Time: 12pm – 8pm Location: Woolwich Carnival, General Gordon Square and Royal Arsenal Tickets: Free to attend, no ticket required

HISTORY 19

History

THE HISTORY OF SOUTHWARK PARK’S GREENHOUSES In 1871 the Parks Committee had approved a greenhouse capable of holding 20,000 plants, at a cost of £300

By Debra Gosling RECENTLY I had cause to visit the old plant nurseries deep in Southwark Park. There’s nothing left of them now, just a jungle of plants and wildlife. But back in its Victorian heyday the park was awash with colourful plants, all grown in its own greenhouses.

On my initial site visit there were still echoes of its faded grandeur. Old terracotta ‘Long Tom’ pots stacked up in a corner; the brickwork of the compost bins still standing, where a gardener would turn over the steaming pile of fertiliser with a garden fork. Under foot were turquoise bits of old floor tiles. I recently came into possession of a piece of blue and white china, dug up from the nursery site, along with a winkle shell. I have a vision of the gardener having his lunch with this plate, full of winkles and a bottle of stout! I looked at the old postcard of the nurseryman and wondered who he could be. It dates from around 1910 so I’m having a guess at George Wool, who was 62 at the time. It’s hard to tell an age with all that facial hair! If not, it could be his son Robert, who was the under gardener. Beforehand there had been James Wool (1818-1903), who was 51

when the park opened. In July 1876 he was discharged with two weeks wages, due to sickness which sadly turned out to be consumption. In 1871 the Parks Committee had approved a greenhouse capable of holding 20,000 plants, at a cost of £300. Park Superintendant at the time was Charles Dennis, who was a bit of a horticultural maverick. The initial aim was to provide plants for Embankment Gardens, but Dennis saw the potential to fill the greenhouses two or three times during the spring, saving a load of cash. In June 1872, following Dennis’ request, a new seed and tool house was approved. There were plenty of blooms to be accommodated, including: Geraniums, Calceolarias and Centaurias. Dennis told he could grow lobelias from “a few pennyworth of seed”. Approval was given to spend £25 on plants. This included godetias, hollyhocks and marigolds. In October 1872, in conjunction with St. James’ Church, bedding-out plants, received from Southwark Park, were distributed to nearly 300 cottagers residing in the parish, “it being the desire of the clergy to encourage among the poor the system of window gardening.” The plants here were also grown to

supply the Royal parks. Understandably Dennis wanted an additional greenhouse to help him in his work, and in May 1873 he pointed to the success of the existing one - over 24,000 plants produced of which 7,000 went to Thames Embankment. The rather blinkered Committee denied his request. In 1887 the first Chrysanthemum Show was opened in the new house recently erected for that purpose. This was the first year of cultivation at the park and 1,500 plants were grown.

IN SEPTEMBER 1882 THE SOUTHWARK RECORDER REPRODUCED A POSITIVE ARTICLE ABOUT THE PARK FROM THE METROPOLITAN:

“I have never been to Southwark Park, so I am going to see what it is like...Spa Road. Southwark Park close at hand... let us turn to the left. Here we are in a world of four-roomed houses...with no underground rooms. There seems few people about, and only a child or two. The silence is something that at once attracts the attention. We come to a good-looking building with two towers, something like the City Temple. Stay, is it a church or a chapel? No; it is the factory of Messrs. Peak, Frean and Co., of biscuit renown, whose fame has journeyed over many lands and

many seas. So then, this is a heaven of fourroomed houses with a dash of biscuits... The Park. Looking across I see the rigging of ships, with furled sails; I enter. The �irst thing that catches my eye is a quantity of �lower beds, in the gayest colours. Then, looking down, I see that the path is paved with asphalt; then a wooden fencing in front of a row of trees - planes, with the lightest of green leaves - and behind this a row of houses of the picturesque character. This gives a touch of seclusion and comfort to the whole affair round the park, noting here and there that there are groups of trees and shrubs, all in their full bloom. The spire of a church I notice, and a tall square building like a campanile (tell the London School Board - this in a whisper - it means a bell tower). The roof is composed of four triangles, the apexes and the spices, if you will have it, which join at the top…What do I think of the Park? I like it uncommonly. Its shape is rather dif�icult to describe; but if you take a horseshoe in both hands, bend it till it is nearly straight, and then turn each end suddenly in, you will see what it is like, if you look at the map. It is fenced in by houses, relieved by the masts of ships and a church, and a tower I spoke of before. There are unenclosed playgrounds for children, and a cricket ground for their elders. Everything looks bright and fresh, and is kept in excellent order, and

they don’t manage these things better in France, and we ought to be proud of the Metropolitan Board, who so nobly show the advocate of centralisation how to do it, and to do it thoroughly. And when the “horny handed etc.” is tired of isms, and ologies, and politics, and all that kind of thing, let him come to this park, where is peace, and the smell of the �lowers and the trees.” 1882, The Southwark Recorder Isn’t that just wonderful?

THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD PUBLISHED THIS IN 1901:

“The popularity of the chrysanthemums is further shown by the crowds that gather on a �ine Sunday afternoon to visit the showhouses provided by the London County Council at Southwark Park. The free exhibition is fully appreciated by the public and a keen interest is taken in the �lowers”. But back to the present. Isn’t it time to resurrect the ghost of Charles Dennis and get planting there? If no greenhouses, then how about allotments? Parsnips from the park? Bermondsey beets? Rotherhithe rhubarb? That would be blooming marvellous. With thanks to Pat Kingwell.

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HAVE YOUR SAY ON

SHAPING YOUR AREA’S FUTURE Lambeth Local Plan Consultation Round 1 of 3 1 September 13 October 2026

Find out more

haveyoursay.lambeth.gov.uk/LLPscopingconsultation

ERIC PRUSA Deceased Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Flat 14 Nightingale Court, 54 Thrale Road, London, SW16 1NY, who died on 07/07/2026, must send written details to the address below by 05/11/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified. Anthony Gold, 5th Floor, South-West, Cottons Centre, Hays Lane, London, SE1 2QG. Ref: MRS0001-00019

PETER HARRISON Deceased Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 156 The Vista, London, SE9 5RL, who died on 26/06/2026, must send written details to the address below by 05/11/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified. Lawson West Solicitors Limited, 4 Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1RP. Ref: TIM006/001

Licensing act 2003 Notice of Application for a Premises Licence Name of applicant: DRCLOUD CHESSINGTON LTD Premises Details: Dr Cloud, Unit 4, Chessington North Railway Station, Bridge Road, Chessington, KT9 2RT. Application Details: The retail sale of alcohol (Off Sales) Monday – Sunday: 09:00 – 23:00. Full details of the application can be inspected on the licensing register, online at www. kingston.gov.uk or in person at the address given below. Deadline for representations: 22/09/2026. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Authority by post: Licensing Team, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Guildhall 2, High Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1EU or by email: licensing@kingston.gov.uk. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum penalty on conviction of such an offence is an unlimited fine. Licensing Act 2003 79-81 Avery Hill Road, London, SE9 2BJ Notice is hereby given that A & A CONVENIENCE LTD has applied to Royal Borough of Greenwich for a premises licence as follows: Opening Hours and off sales of alcohol 06:00 to 23:00 Monday to Sunday. Full details of the council website are at: https://www.royalgreenwich. gov.uk/info/200304/licensing_ policy_and_register/489/licence_ register_and_applications. The record of this application may be inspected at: Licensing Department Fourth Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6HQ. Email: licensing@royalgreenwich. gov.uk. Any person wishing to submit relevant representations to this application must give notice in writing to the address shown above by 24th September 2026. It is an offence liable on conviction to an unlimited fine under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application. Application submitted by Licensing Matters Ltd 01282 500322

PUBLIC NOTICES 23

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LICENSING ACT 2003 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE. Premises: 1056 London Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7ND. Notice is given that Odair Borges has applied to Croydon Council for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003. The proposed licensable activities are: Sale by retail of Alcohol, Every day 10:00 to 22:00 hrs. Any representations regarding this application must be received in writing to Croydon Council, Licensing Team, 3rd Floor, Zone B, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA or via email to licensing@croydon.gov.uk no later than 21.09.2026. The register of the record of the application may be viewed at the address of the Council given above by appointment Monday to Friday 9am to 3.45pm (except bank holidays) or can be viewed online at www.croydon.gov.uk. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction for such an offence is unlimited.

View all weekly and archive public notices and sign up to the Public Notice Portal at www.southlondon. co.uk/ category/public‐ notices/

Notice of application for a Premises Licence. Notice is hereby given that Duende Lab Limited has applied to Wandsworth Council for a new premises licence at Duende Lab Limited, 6A St. Joseph’s Street, SW8 4DN, London for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises, Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 23:00. Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 22 September 2026 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX or by email: licensing@merton.gov.uk The record of this application may be inspected Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) by prior appointment at the offices of Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden,Surrey, SM4 5DX between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Information on all new and variation applications received by the Licensing Authority can be viewed on the Council’s website www.wandsworth.gov.uk It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in or in connection with an application, punishable upon conviction by an unlimited fine. LICENSING ACT 2003. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR VARIATION OF A PREMISES LICENCE. We, the Co-Operative Group Food Limited have applied for a variation of Premises Licence in respect of the premises known as Co-op, 89 - 93 Banstead Road, Carshalton, SM5 3NP. Application details: changes to the store layout only, all conditions and licensing hours remain the same. Full details of the application can be inspected on the licensing register, online at www.sutton.gov.uk or in person at the address given below. Deadline for representations: 29/09/2026. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Authority by post: Licensing Manager, Regulatory Services, Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service, London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1EA or by email to licensing@sutton.gov.uk. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum penalty on conviction of such an offence is an unlimited fine. LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE Jimmy Garcia Restaurants has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: Jimmys Pop Up, Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 8XX which would authorise the following licensable activities: Sale of alcohol 26/10/2026 - 06/01/2027 11:00 - 23:00 & New Year’s Eve 23:00 - 02:00 The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth Town Hall, Basement Room B08 & B09, 1 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW, or via the licensing authority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 24/09/2026 It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

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NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE UNDER SECTION 17 OF THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Notice is hereby given that Pubco London Limited has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for a premises licence in relation to Market House, The Living Room Bar 443 - 445 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8LN to permit the sale of alcohol On and Off the premises Monday to Thursday 10:00hrs to 02:00hrs, Friday & Saturday 10:00hrs to 04:00hrs, Sunday 12:00hrs to 02:00hrs. Live Music, Performances of Dance, Entertainment Similar to Music/Dance, Provision of Facilities for Making Music, Provision of Facilities for Similar Entertainment Sunday to Thursday 09:00hrs to 02:00hrs, Friday & Saturday 09:00hrs to 04:00hrs. Provision of Facilities for Dancing, Recorded Music Monday to Sunday 09:00hrs to 04:00hrs. Late Night Refreshment Sunday to Thursday 23:00hrs - 02:30hrs, Friday & Saturday 23:00hrs to 04:00hrs The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section London Borough of Lambeth 3rd Floor Civic Centre 6 Brixton Hill London SW2 1EG or via the licensing authority’s website at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk Such written representation must be received by 25/09/2026 clearly stating the grounds upon which the representation is made in relation to the four objectives of the Licensing Act 2003. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is unlimited. Licensing Act 2023 Notice of Application for a new Premises Licence 28/08/2026 TO 24/09/2026 Notice is given that, Mr. Omar Choudhary has applied to the Licensing Authority of London Borough of Sutton for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003 Premises details: 292 High Street, Sutton, SM1 1PQ The licensable activities and timings are: Late Night Refreshment for a restaurant and takeaway: from 11:00pm to 01:00am Sunday to Thursday and from 11:00pm to 02:00am Fridays to Saturdays including Bank Holidays. No alcohol will be sold at the premises. The public register where applications are available to be viewed by members of the public can be accessed online by visiting www.sutton.gov.uk or in person at the address given below. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Authority by post to: Licensing Team, London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, SM1 1EA, or by email: licensing@sutton.gov.uk The deadline for representations is: 24/09/2026 It is an offence under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum penalty on conviction of such an offence is an unlimited fine. Dated this: 28th day of August 2026 LICENSING ACT 2003 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF A PREMISES LICENCE. Premises: Yaash Peri Peri, 78 Westow Hill, Upper Norwood, London, SE19 1SB. Notice is given that JAYAPALASINGHAM JAYASANKAR has applied to Croydon Council for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003. The proposed licensable activity is the provision of late nigh refreshment Monday to Thursday 2300 to 0100 hrs, Friday to Saturday 2300 to 0300 hrs, Sunday 2300 to 0000. Any representations regarding this application must be received in writing to Croydon Council, Licensing Team, 3rd Floor, Zone B, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA or via email to licensing@croydon.gov.uk no later than 29.09.2026. The register of the record of the application may be viewed at the address of the Council given above by appointment Monday to Friday 9am to 3.45pm (except bank holidays) or can be viewed online at www.croydon.gov.uk. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction for such an offence is unlimited.

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – FERNDALE ROAD 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to facilitate bridge maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order, the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Ferndale Road between its junction with Pulross Road and a point 97 metres south-west of that junction. 2. The alternative routes for affected vehicles will be available via Ferndale Road, Bedford Road, Acre Lane, Brixton Road and Ferndale Road and via Pulross Road, Bellefields Road, Stockwell Road, Stockwell Green, Landor Road, Bedford Road and Ferndale Road. 3. The Order will come into force on 6 September 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month, to allow for contingencies, or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will take 2 nights (1am to 4am) to complete. Dated 4 September 2026 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager (The officer appointed for this purpose) LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – MAULEVERER ROAD 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to facilitate water utility repair and maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order, the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Mauleverer Road between outside the common boundary of Nos. 37 and 39 Mauleverer Road and outside the common boundary of Nos. 41 and 43 Mauleverer Road. 2. The alternative routes for affected vehicles will be available via Lyham Road, Margate Road and Strathleven Road, and vice versa. 3. The Order will come into force on 7 September 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 3 months, to allow for contingencies, or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will take 3 weeks to complete. Dated 4 September 2026 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager (The officer appointed for this purpose)

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 16A TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS – PLAY STREET DAYS – HAWARDEN GROVE 1 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that to enable local residents/ communities to hold special events (Play Street Days), the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicles from entering Hawarden Grove, between its junction with Croxted Road and its junction with Rosendale Road every Friday from 11 September 2026 to 31 December 2026 between the hours of 4.30p.m. and 7.30p.m. 2 Alternative routes will be available for affected vehicles via Croxted Road, Guernsey Grove and Rosendale Road and vice versa. Dated 4 September 2026 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager (The officer appointed for this purpose) LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – TYERS TERRACE 1 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable water main replacement works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order, the effect of which will be to temporarily: (a) prohibit vehicles from waiting, including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading a vehicle, in that length of Tyers Terrace between its junctions with Vauxhall Street and St Oswald’s Place. (b) introduce a north-east to south-west one-way traffic system in Tyers Terrace between its junctions with Vauxhall Street and St Oswald’s Place. 2 The alternative route for affected vehicles will be available via St Oswald’s Place, Kennington Lane and Vauxhall Street. 3. The Order will come into force on 7 September 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 3 months, to allow for contingencies, or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will take 1 month to complete. Dated 4 September 2026 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager (The officer appointed for this purpose)

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – CEDARS ROAD 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable building maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order, the effect of which will be to temporarily introduce a north-west to south-east one-way traffic system in the length of Cedars Road between its junction with Clapham Common North Side and 39 metres north-west of that junction. 2. The alternative routes for affected vehicles will be available via Clapham Common North Side, Old Town, North Street, Wandsworth Road and Cedars Road, and via Clapham Common North Side, The Avenue, Clapham Common West Side, Clapham Common North Side, Old Town, North Street, Wandsworth Road and Cedars Road. 3. The Order will come into force on 7 September 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month, to allow for contingencies, or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will take 1 day to complete. Dated 4 September 2026 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager (The officer appointed for this purpose)

24 PUBLIC NOTICES

Friday, September 4th 2026

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH Notice Under The Town and Country Planning Acts NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council is considering applications as set out below under the following categories FUL = FULL PLANNING PERMISSION LB = LISTED BUILDING CONSENT VOC = VARIATION OF CONDITIONS Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ. Any comments made are open to inspection by the public and in the event of an appeal may be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Confidential comments cannot be taken into account in determining an application. Application plans can be viewed online at www.lambeth.gov.uk/searchplanningapps – search using the reference number at the end of each application listing. 24 Albert Square London Lambeth SW8 1DA Replacement of two non-original third floor timber sash windows on the principal elevation with bespoke painted hardwood sash windows incorporating slimline heritage double glazing to the third floor. 26/01939/LB 440 Streatham High Road London SW16 3PX Erection of bin storage to the ground restaurant. 26/02292/FUL 39-41 Coldharbour Lane London Lambeth SE5 9NR Change of use to the ground floor from a charity book store (Class use E) to a food hall (Class use E (b)) with a new additional main entrance glazed door to the front elevation. 26/02332/FUL 2A Norwood High Street London Lambeth SE27 9NS Reconfiguration of the ground-to-first floor and ground-to-basement staircases, with the basement staircase to include new steps introduced in the light well leading to the landing. Installation of a floating walkway (bridge) over the existing stone steps at ground floor level with a new external door to the yard. Removal of a door in the backstage workshop to be blocked up and removal of an internal door and replace with a sash style window (Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 26/02372/LB but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 26/02371/FUL). 26/02372/LB Land Rear Of Cooper Building London SW4 9DX Application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to vary condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission 23/00555/VOC, granted on 23 January 2024, to allow amendments to the location and configuration of the waste and cycle storage facilities, play space and communal amenity area, external finishes to Block C, and the provision of additional private terraces to Flats 1 and 3; together with the submission of revised details pursuant to conditions 22, 31, 34 and 40 and amendments to the wording of conditions to refer to details previously approved under associated discharge of condition applications. 26/02201/VOC 31 Brockwell Park Gardens London SE24 9BJ Erection of a single storey outbuilding in rear garden, and installation of new timber access steps to the rear patio doors of main building. 26/02209/FUL 3 Eagle House Mews London Lambeth SW4 9JY Listed building consent for the installation of a fully internal, water-cooled air conditioning system comprising one internal condensing unit and two indoor fan coil units. 26/02316/LB 41 Stockwell Road London Lambeth SW9 9QB Replacement double glazed timber and casement windows 26/02361/FUL 12-13 Clapham Common South Side London SW4 7AD Application for Listed Building Consent for the installation of 2 no. AC condenser units to rear flat roof enclosed within acoustic enclosures and new extraction system, and replacement roof covering and a rooflight and the removal of a hatch. (Associated Full Planning Permission with reference number 26/00969/FUL received). [REASONS: PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION AND AMENDED DRAWINGS]. 26/00970/LB Brockwell Park Dulwich Road London SE24 0PA Temporary use of part of Brockwell Park for funfair events to occur twice a calendar year over a five-year period from 2027 to 2031, involving the installation and de-installation of temporary infrastructure including fencing, rides, lighting, and other temporary structures and ancillary works. 26/02343/FUL Dated this Friday 04/09/2026

Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A21 GLA ROAD (BROMLEY COMMON, LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF STOPPING) ORDER 2026 1. Transport for London in consulation with the London Borough of Bromley hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3. 2. The purpose of the Order is to enable telecom works to take place at A21 Bromley Common in the London Borough of Bromley. 3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from stopping on: (1) Addison Road from its junction with Bromley Common to the extended common boundary of the vehicle access point to Nos. 93 – 101 Bromley Common; (2) Chantry Lane from its junction with Bromley Common to the extended north-eastern building line of No. 103 Bromley Common; (3) Bloomfield Road from its junction with Bromley Common to the extended south-western building line of No. 2 Broomfield Road; (4) Walpole Road from its junction with Bromley Common to the extended north-western building line of No. 2a Swingfield Court, Walpole Road; (5) Bromley Common between its junctions with Chantry Lane and Walpole Road. The Order will be effective at certain times from 14th September 2026 and 20th September 2026 every night 8.00 PM until 5.00 AM or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibitions will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by traffic signs. 4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of: (1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London. Dated this 4th day of September 2026 Andrew Ulph Co-Ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

Rob Bristow Director - Planning and Sustainability Growth and Environment Directorate

Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A2213 GLA ROAD (KIDBROOKE PARK ROAD, ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2026 1. Transport for London hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3. 2. The purpose of the Order is to enable pedestrian guard rail repair works to take place on the A2213 Kidbrooke Park Road in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. 3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from entering Kidbrooke Park Road at its junction with Eltham Road. The Order will be effective between the dates of 14th September 2026 and 14th October 2026 every night 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibitions will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by traffic signs. 4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of: (1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London. 5. At such times as the prohibitions are in force alternative routes will be indicated by traffic signs. For A20 eastbound and north-westbound traffic via Eltham Road, Yorkshire Grey Roundabout, Westhorne Avenue and Rochester Way Relief Road westbound to normal route of travel. For A210 westbound traffic via Sidcup Road, Westhorne Avenue, Yorkshire Grey Roundabout, Westhorne Avenue and Rochester Way Relief Road westbound to normal route of travel.

Join o ovver 150,000 USERS to ﬁnd out who’s applying ffo or what and where in your communityy.. The Public Notice Portal is a f ree to use, online service that will tell you who is applying for what and where. Plus, if you register, we’ll tell you about any plans for your community, helping you to stay informed. publicnoticeportal.uk

Dated this 4th day of September 2026 Andrew Ulph Co-ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

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Friday, September 4th 2026

Transport for London Public Notice

PUBLIC NOTICES 25 Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A24 GLA ROADS (HIGH STREET COLLIERS WOOD, TOOTING HIGH STREET, UPPER TOOTING ROAD, BALHAM HILL AND BALHAM HIGH ROAD, LONDON BOROUGHS OF MERTON AND WANDSWORTH) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC, STOPPING AND BANNED TURNS) ORDER 2026 1. Transport for London having consulted with the London borough of Wandsworth hereby gives notice that it has made the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3. 2. The purpose of the Order is to enable installation of permanent bus stops works to take place on the A24 High Street Colliers Wood, Tooting High Street and Upper Tooting Road. 3. The effects of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from: (1) entering or exiting Rinaldo Road at its junction with Balham High Road; (2) turning right onto Upper Tooting Road from Hebdon Road; (3) turning right into Hebdon Road from Upper Tooting Road;

THE A205 GLA ROAD (RUSHEY GREEN, LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF STOPPING) ORDER 2026

(4) turning right into Balham High Road from Ravenswood Road; (5) entering, exiting, stopping or proceeding on Aldis Street from its junction with Tooting High Street and a point17 metres southeast of the extended common boundary of Nos. 2 and 4 Aldis Street; (6) stopping on unnamed Road fronting Nos.40-56 Balham High Road between its junctions with Rinaldo Road and Caistor Road; (7) stopping in the Parking and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bays on Rinaldo Road, Yukon Road and Alderbrook Road; (8) entering or exiting Yukon Road and Alderbrook Road at its junction with Balham Hill; (9) stopping in Loading and Unloading Bay opposite No.149 Balham Hill; (10) stopping in Loading, Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay on Walpole Road; (11) stopping in Loading and Unloading Bay opposite Nos.28-36 High Street Collier’s Wood; (12) stopping in Electric Vehicle Charging Bay opposite No.46 High Street Collier’s Wood; (13) turning right from Baltic Close onto High Street Collier’s Wood; (14) turning right from Valley Gardens onto High Street Collier’s Wood; (15) turning right into Valley Gardens from High Street Collier’s Wood; (16) stopping in the Parking and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay on Valley Gardens; (17) stopping in the Parking and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay outside Nos 2a-2b Briscoe Road; (18) stopping in Loading Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay on Valley Gardens; (19) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Briscoe Road from its junction with High Street Collier’s Wood to a point 11 metres north-west of the extended south-eastern building line of No. 26 High Street Collier's Wood; (20) turning right from Walpole Road onto High Street Collier’s Wood; (21) stopping in the Loading and Unloading Only Bay outside No.268 Balham High Road; (22) stopping in Loading Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay outside No.2 Ritherdon Road; (23) stopping in Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay opposite No.2 Ritherdon Road; (24) stopping in Loading Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay outside No.238 Balham High Road; (25) stopping in Loading Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay adjacent to No.205 Balham High Road; (26) stopping on Balham High Road between its junctions with Ramsden Road and Elmfield Road; (27) entering priory road at its junction with Merton High Street/ High Street Collier’s Wood; (28) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Balham Park Road between its junctions with Balham High Road and the extended south-western building line of No. 222 Balham High Road; (29) turning right from Lochinvar Estate onto Rinaldo Road; (30) stopping in Loading Unloading and Disabled Persons’ Vehicle Only Bay on Aldis Street side of No.174 Tooting High Street. The order will permit all vehicles to use the north-eastbound bus lane on Tooting High Street between its junctions with Aldis Street and Sellincourt Road. The Order will be effective at certain times from 12:00 AM on 7th September 2026 until 11:59 PM on 31st October 2027 or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibition will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by traffic signs. 4. The prohibition will not apply in respect of: (1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London. 5. At such times as the prohibitions are in force an alternative routes will be indicated by traffic signs; (for the closure of Balham Park Road) Balham High Road, Chestnut Grove and Boundaries Road to normal route of travel.(for the closure of Aldis Street) Tooting High Street, Sellincourt Road, Tooting High Street, Carlwell Street and Maybury Street to normal route of travel.(to access Balham High Road via Ravenswood Road) Balham High Road southbound, Balham Grove, Oldridge Road and Balham High Road to normal route of travel.( for the closure of Alderbrook Road) Balham Hill, Malwood Road and Alderbrook Road to normal route of travel.(for the closure of Priory Road) High Street Colliers Wood, Tooting High Street, Mitcham Road, London Road, Holborn Way, Western Road and Christchurch Road to normal route of travel. Dated this 4th day of September 2026 Gordon sheppard Performance and Planning Manager Transport for London, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

1. Transport for London hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3. 2. The purpose of the Order is to enable gas main replacement works to take place at A205 Rushy Green in the London Borough of Lewisham. 3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from stopping on Rushey Green between its junctions with Catford Broadway and Honley Road. The Order will be effective at certain times from 7.00 AM on the 14th September 2026 until 5.00 PM on the 25th October 2026 or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibition will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by traffic signs. 4. The prohibition will not apply in respect of: (1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London. Dated this 4th day of September 2026 Andrew Ulph Co-Ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE GLA ROADS (LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM) (BUS PRIORITY) CONSOLIDATION ORDER 2009 A21 GLA ROADS (LEWISHAM HIGH STREET AND RUSHEY GREEN) VARIATION ORDER 2026 1. Transport for London, hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Order under section 6 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. 2. The general nature and effect of the Order will be to shorten the existing southbound bus lane on Lewisham High Street/Rushey Green between its junction with Ladywell Road and outside Nos.43 to 47 Rushey Green by 57.5 metres at its northern end, operating Mon-Sun At Any Time permitting buses, dial a ride buses, taxis, motorcyclists and pedal cycles. 3. The road which would be affected by the Order is the A21 Lewisham High Street and Rushey Green in the London Borough of Lewisham. 4. A copy of the Order, a statement of Transport for London’s reasons for the proposals, a map indicating the location and effect of the Order and copies of any Order revoked, suspended or varied by the Order can be inspected by visiting our website at https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tro and selecting the relevant borough and reference the Traffic Order relates to or by appointment during normal office hours at our office at the address below. To arrange an appointment please email trafficordersection@tfl.gov.uk. Copies of the documents may be requested via email at trafficordersection@tfl.gov.uk, or by post at the following address quoting reference SNO/REGULATION/STOT/DW TRO/GLA/2026/0563: • Transport for London Streets Traffic Order Team (SNO/REGULATION/STOT) Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road London, SE1 8NJ 5. All objections and other representations to the proposed Order must be made in writing and must specify the grounds on which they are made. Objections and representations must be sent to Transport for London, Streets Traffic Order Team, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ or by emailing trafficordersection@tfl.gov.uk quoting reference SNO/REGULATION/STOT DW/TRO/GLA/2026/0563, to arrive before 25th September 2026. Please note due to hybrid working access to post is restricted and requests for documents and confirmation of your objections or representations may be delayed. Objections and other representations may be communicated to other persons who may be affected. Dated this 4th day of September 2026 Gordon Sheppard Performance and Planning Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

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26 PUBLIC NOTICES

Friday, September 4th 2026

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What's On 2026

SPORT 29 By James Lockett THE LONDON Olympians’ 2026 campaign came to a heartbreaking end as a 30-12 defeat away to divisional rivals East Kent Mavericks saw the O’s fall just one victory short of promotion to the Premiership South.

‘It hurts - but we’ll come back determined to finish the job

Having battled their way through the play-offs to reach the Southern Conference final, the Olympians travelled to Canterbury knowing victory would secure both promotion and a place in the Division One National Championship game against the Newcastle Vikings. It was also the third meeting between two sides whose rivalry had defined much of the Olympians’ season. East Kent inflicted a heavy 35-0 defeat on the O’s on the opening day before the Olympians responded by ending the Mavericks’ unbeaten regular season campaign with a 3520 victory at Blackheath. Unfortunately, the deciding encounter belonged to East Kent. The 30-12 scoreline perhaps failed to reflect how competitive much of the contest was, with the Olympians creating opportunities to keep pace with the Mavericks but unable to capitalise at crucial moments. A number of important passes were dropped, including two potential first-down conversions inside the East Kent red zone, and against an experienced Mavericks side those missed opportunities proved costly. While the O’s continued to battle, East Kent were more clinical when

O’S SO CLOSE

far this team has progressed. After beginning the campaign with that chastening defeat in Canterbury, the O’s responded with seven consecutive regular season victories to finish 7-1, before play-off wins over London Blitz B and the higherseeded Southampton Thrashers carried them all the way to the Southern Final. “It hurts, and it should hurt,” O’s head coach Riq Ayub said. “We came to win, we believed we could win and we were one game away from achieving something that everyone in this group has worked incredibly hard for. “But when that disappointment settles, I think we’ll look back and realise just how far we’ve come. We started this season as a group with a lot of new faces that needed time to come together. What we finish it with is a team in every sense of the word. “The unity, belief and resilience these players have developed over the course of this season is something I’m incredibly proud of. When we lost our opening game heavily, we could have allowed that to define our year. Instead, we won nine straight games, came back and beat that same East Kent team and fought our way to within one game of promotion. “We’ll take a short break now because the players and coaches have earned it. Then we’ll get back to work. This season has shown us how close we are, but close isn’t where we want to be. We’ll learn from this, we’ll be stronger for it and we’ll come back next season determined to finish the job.”

their opportunities arrived and ultimately built an advantage the Olympians were unable to overcome, bringing the curtain down on London’s promotion push.

The strength of the opposition was underlined last Sunday, when East Kent went on to beat the Newcastle Vikings in the Division One National Championship game, securing the

Dubois: ‘I’ll knock this Baum out’ By John Kelly

CAROLINE DUBOIS comfortably defended her WBC and WBO lightweight world titles in Birmingham last weekend - and then went on the attack against potential opponent Alycia Baumgardner.

Dubois defeated 36-year-old Ameila Moore 9990, 99-90 and 98-91 on the judges’ scorecards at MVPW-06 in Birmingham. Former undisputed super-featherweight champion Baumgardner steps into Dubois’ division to fight Elif Nur Turhan in November. If the 32-year-old American wins that then it

could set up a fight against unbeaten Dubois, 25, next year. Baumgardner was ringside in Birmingham and said, “that was a lacklustre performance”. She added: “I’m going to show you what a champ [can] do - an undisputed champ at that.” That brought a typically fierce response from Dubois. She said: “You are moving up to my division. I’m the best in the division and you know it. I’m 25 and I’m better than you. “I love that. Keep that energy. If you get through Elif Nur Turhan, me and you, there’s no denying it. Everything I’ve asked for has happened. I’m knocking this bum out - you’d better believe it.”

Dulwich promotion hopes dangle on thread with game left Malden Wanderers 141-9 (26) vs. Dulwich 14-1 (4) – match abandoned

By John Lewis DULWICH TRAVELLED to Malden Wanderers for their crucial promotion battle in Division 1 of the M.Zaidi & Co. Surrey Cricket Championship - but the only winner was the weather.

After a series of intermittent showers play finally got underway at 3.12 pm, with the match reduced to 26 overs per side. Dulwich won the toss and elected to field, only to see Zac Elkin and Jack Victory put on 55 for the first wicket. Harrison Perry made the breakthrough, bowling Victory with the last ball of the eighth over for sixteen. For the rest of the innings Elkin occupied one end while the Dulwich bowlers worked their way through the rest of the Malden

batting at the other. The innings closed on 141 for 9, of which Elkin made 80 not out off 72 balls. Lucas Parry took four wickets, Perry and Joe Payne two each, and Dan Empson one. The Dulwich reply started badly when Jacob Rhodes was caught at slip (inevitably by Elkin) off the third legitimate ball. Tommy Wright and Will O’Donnell had taken the score to 14 off four overs when the rain returned and brought a premature end to proceedings. Both sides take eight points from the match, but the situation is complicated by the success of Old Rutlishians, who were able to complete victory over Walton on Thames between the showers. They therefore gain 20 points and leapfrog Dulwich into third place, level on points with Malden. Dulwich are now fourth. They can still gain promotion if they win their final match against Weybridge, but only if Malden Wanderers and Old Rutlishians both lose theirs.

national title and promotion to the Premiership South next season. For the Olympians, the Southern final defeat does little to diminish a season that demonstrated just how

Foakes century saves Surrey embarrassment

Surrey 183 & 298-8 drew with Essex 279

By ECB Media BEN FOAKES produced the most obdurate hundred of his career at Chelmsford to frustrate the county of his birth and prevent Surrey suffering the ignominy of slipping into the bottom two in Division One of the County Championship.

The Colchester-born wicketkeeper-batter walked out at the start of the fourth day with Surrey 51-4, still 45 runs behind Essex’s lead on first innings, and facing a fifth defeat of the season. But Foakes had other ideas and dug in with such grim determination and nous that he was still there nearly five hours later when handshakes were exchanged. He was unbeaten on 120 from 226 balls. He received good support throughout the final day, in particular with stands of 52 for the seventh wicket with Adam Thomas and 104 for the eighth with Tom Lawes. Essex toiled in vain to make the breakthrough that might have led to their fifth win of the season. There had been a point just before lunch when Leicestershire’s match against Yorkshire at Scarborough was abandoned as a draw and Surrey dropped into the vacated ninth spot in Division One. Foakes made sure they did not stay there for long. Surrey had made clear their intention to attempt to dig in and bat for as much of the day as possible. It looked a tall order. Foakes hit the first ball of the morning for four but there was a period soon after where no runs were scored off

the bat for 35 balls. Simon Harmer conceded a single from his warm-up delivery, then churned out maiden after maiden before ending Josh Blake’s 70-ball stonewalling by inducing a rare rash shot for a caught behind. Surrey were still four runs from making Essex bat again when they lost their sixth wicket, Mahipal Lomror nicking Jamie Porter through to the wicketkeeper. Like fellow seamer Sam Cook, Porter was achieving movement and lift off a still lively pitch and Thomas was welcomed with a ball that passed him at eye level. It took Surrey 47 overs to cancel Essex’s 96-run first-innings lead and that millstone removed their approach became slightly more expansive. Thomas’ aggression meant he scored at twice the rate of Foakes, who survived a caught-andbowled chance to Harmer. But just as Thomas got close to overtaking his senior partner’s score, and with whom he had put on 52 for the seventh wicket, he went to hook a short ball from Zaman Akhter and top-edged into Michael Pepper’s gloves. When Foakes pulled Akhter through midwicket for his seventh boundary, he had faced 121 balls in reaching 50. In Lawes, he found another ally willing to keep the scoreboard ticking while taking minimal risks. Their 28-over stand ended when Cook beat Lawes for pace with the fourth delivery after tea. Foakes’ century encompassed 205 balls and was celebrated soon after with a six over midwicket off Harmer, who was also hit on to the pavilion roof by Rahul Chahar. Surrey’s home game against Yorkshire started on Wednesday (September 2).

30 SPORT

Myles better from Dons

By Manuel Salazar

JOHNNIE JACKSON said his AFC Wimbledon side gave "absolutely everything" after Myles Hippolyte's 88th-minute goal against Wigan Athletic at Plough Lane earned their first win in League One this season.

Best stopper from 2022 World Cup brings winning mentality By Paul Green at Stamford Bridge

Emiliano Martinez joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for £7.5million

The goalkeeper, who turns 34 this week, landed a £7.5million move to Stamford Bridge from Aston Villa on a three-year deal in time to make a memorable debut in Sunday’s 4-3 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge. The Blues raced 3-0 ahead after 32 minutes thanks to goals from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro. The 2022 World Cup Golden Glove winner initially thwarted Charalampos Kostoulas ten minutes before the break, only for the Argentine to be beaten by Malick Yalcouye’s follow-up strike. Joao Pedro had the unfortunate distinction of scoring at both ends after applying an unwanted touch on Pascal

Gross’s attempt in the 63rd minute. Cole Palmer’s long-range drive eleven minutes later made it 4-2 before Gross's consolation six minutes into added-time. It is back-to-back Premier League wins for Alonso and a winning first start for Martinez. The boss said: “With him, he is a World Cup winner, he is 34 years old, experienced all around. “I spoke with him [on Saturday]. We talked about the game, about our team and he felt ready, so I don’t have to tell him many things about [how] to perform. “Even today, for sure every keeper wants to have a clean sheet, but I am happy with his first impact. “He has only been in the building for 48 hours so now we will have the whole week to prepare for the next one. “Day by day we will feel his presence because he has this charisma, this aura to influence and to have a very positive

connection with the rest of the team.” The victory over the Seagulls was overshadowed when substitute Moises Caicedo was forced off injured just fourteen minutes after coming off the bench to replace Neto. Argentina international Valentin Barco replaced Caicedo. “Hopefully it was not new and it wasn’t more [serious] than last time,” Alonso said. “He was cautious to stop to say his feeling was not the best, but we need to assess it during the week.” Chelsea only had 26 per cent possession against Brighton after having 38 per cent of the ball in their opening-day 3-2 win at Fulham. But Alonso doesn’t believe anything should be read into these figures. He explained: “For me, you need to have context to every bit of data. “After 30 minutes we have scored 3-0, but in that moment we have played too much with [protecting] the result instead of keep playing, so the data is not important, it is

how you play and what we can do better. “But it is never that approach. “I do not say today we need to have 60 per cent or 20 per cent, I never talk about those things. “It is about how to prepare, how to be more competitive, but the good thing is that you need to adapt during the game. “There are different moments and in some of them we have done really well, in others that we can do better.” Alonso added: “I want to win – whatever it takes to win. Each game can be different, so we need to prepare for the best, we need to train for the best and be prepared for whatever scenario we have. “It is not that it is going to be replicated against Arsenal. Today was a big challenge and it was a big test. Next Sunday it is going to be a big one. “We can continue focusing on the good things and correcting the other ones that we can do better.”

Louie Barry scored ten seconds into the second half and added another three minutes later before Lowe's second and Gabriel Otegbayo making it seven. Victor Adeboyejo's goal five minutes from time and Otegbayo's own goal two minutes later at least gave the visiting fans something to cheer. “Horrific. I thought it was terrible," Woodman said. "I've been here five-anda-half years, and I've never seen a team put out such bad performance. We took a team to Newcastle in the Premiership, and we didn't play as bad as that. “There was so much wrong from the

word go. It's not the shape and systems and all that stuff. It was just bravery, people doing their jobs or people not doing their jobs, and just a real lack of, I wouldn't say effort, a lack of just commitment to doing their jobs and being disciplined. And we weren't. We were wide open. I don't know why we were wide open. That was not how we were meant to be set up. They just came through us like a knife through butter. We were so bad. There's so many things that were so bad.” Woodman made three changes at half-time but it made little difference.

Woodman added: “What do you do? You know you're not going to win the game. You know you're not getting back in the game. It was damage limitation, and then you can see one or two heads drop, which happens. I get that. "We have just go to lick our wounds and hopefully that's a one-off performance, and hopefully just gives us a little bit of a reality check of going back to what we are. We were nowhere near what we've been and what you know what we have been in the past.” “The reaction will be good,” he added. “Don't worry about that. We're in

tomorrow. We'll be working tomorrow, working Monday, and the reaction has to be good. We know we're going to come to places and have tough days. I didn't quite expect as tough a day as that today, but we've got to make sure that we kind of just take care of what we're about and don't go away from what we're about. We were so far detached from what we've been last season and since I've been here that it was real desperate stuff.” Bromley were in midweek action against Leyton Orient. Go to southlondon.co.uk to see if Woodman got the reaction he wanted.

XABI ALONSO is confident everyone at Chelsea will benefit from Emiliano Martinez’s World Cup winning experience in the years ahead.

Boss spooked by Owls in Ravens horror show

By John Kelly

ANDY WOODMAN said Bromley's 7-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was "horrific" and the worst performance since he took over in 2021.

The Ravens were 3-0 behind at half-time and 7-0 down before two late consolation goals. It was Bromley's first defeat in their third-ever game in the third tier. Callum Slattery, Mason Burstow and Jamal Lowe in the final minute of the first half put the hosts in control. It somehow got worse for Bromley as

Hippolyte scored the only goal of the game when he beat goalkeeper Joe Walsh after being put through by new forward loan signing from Nottingham Forest, Donnell McNeilly. Wimbledon hadn't won any of their first five games after 90 minutes this season and were beaten 3-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage in the second round of the EFL Cup the previous Thursday. “It's always nice getting a late one," Jackson said. "Obviously the opposition have got less time to get back into it, although nine minutes extra-made us we had to hang on a little bit and wait for that victory, that winning moment. “But, yes, just a great way to do it. "A really tough game, physically, especially on the back of Thursday and the efforts that the boys put in. “For them to go again and to finish the way that we did in what was a really tough game against a good team, just showed that willingness to try and go and win it. “I'm just so pleased with the group. They left absolutely everything out on the pitch and, as a manager, that's all you can ever ask of your group, that they give absolutely everything. “But you want a little bit of quality thrown in and, I think in the closing stages, we definitely showed that.” Jackson praised McNeilly's impact just a day after he signed on a seasonlong deal. Jackson said: "He’s really new to us, only trained with us once, but I felt like it was a time in the game where he could come on and have an impact. “I think he's going to be an exciting player for us - pace and power, but a little bit of quality there as well. Just in that moment, with maybe his first couple of touches on the pitch, he sets that up. “We'll have to build him up, because even he was pretty knackered at the end, because of the work that we're having to ask him to get through. “He’s a great option for us. "I've got to say, all the lads who came on impacted the game. We made four [substitutions] at one time, and it's easy to just throw bodies on, but what you want is the impact from the lads, and I thought they were excellent.”

ALONSO: EMI CAN HAVE GOLDEN TOUCH

SPORT 31 By John Kelly CHARLTON ATHLETIC made an eyecatching double swoop on transfer deadline day with the signing of former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp and highlyrated Wimbledon winger Junior Nkeng.

By John Kelly

ENZO FERNANDEZ claimed he "wasn't in a good place" making the "difficult decision" to leave Chelsea as he posted a goodbye message to the Blues following his £125million move to Manchester City.

Former Spurs midﬁelder joins in deadline day double swoop want. "We’re hoping that he can really make the step up to Championship football we’re excited to see how he can develop. "Along with the likes of TC [Tyreece Campbell], Miles [Leaburn], Alan [Mwamba], Ibby [Fullah] and Micah [Mbick] and all these young players that we’ve had in the side - he’s one that we’re really excited about. It continues our tradition at the football club of developing players, albeit one that we’ve gone out and bought." Rodwell added: "Junior is a player the team has been tracking for some time. He possesses many of the attributes that align with how we’re looking to evolve the side. He’s quick, highly-talented and

has the ability to excite supporters. "We believe he can make an immediate contribution while continuing to develop within a proven environment that has a strong track record of nurturing talented young players, so we're looking forward to seeing him in action for Charlton." Meanwhile, 21-year-old defender Nathan Asiimwe has joined League Two side Salford City on a season-long loan. Jones said: "Nathan joins Salford on loan, a club with clear ambitions to continue progressing. It will provide him with an excellent opportunity to play regular first-team football and further his development. We wish him every success during his time there and will be monitoring his progress closely."

Skipp, 25, who played in the Champions League for Spurs, joined on a season-long loan from Leicester City. Nkeng, 19, signed a long-term deal after moving for an undisclosed fee. The Addicks signed eleven players in the summer window and boss Nathan Jones believes the club have "considerably improved" the squad. Jones couldn't hide his excitement with the signing of Skipp. "We’re delighted to add Oliver to the squad," Jones said. "Skippy is someone that I’ve known for a long, long time. He’s got top-end Championship experience and Premier League experience. "As soon as I spoke to him, he had a real desire to play for our club and be part of our project. He’s a player with wonderful experience, with wonderful quality. He’s a real marquee signing for us. It’s the culmination of a long, difficult and testing window, but one we’ve come through with a considerably improved squad. We have a really competitive Championship squad and I’m excited when we get everyone back, with what we can achieve." Charlton managing director James Rodwell added: "Oliver has made 180 appearances across the Premier League and Championship, bringing the quality and experience that have been central to our summer recruitment strategy as we continue to evolve as a club." Nkeng only turned nineteen last month. He played 25 league games for the Dons under former Addicks boss Johnnie Jackson, scoring twice. Nkeng said: "I’m buzzing. It’s something I’ve been waiting for a very long time and I can’t wait to get started. "Every player wants to go as high as possible. The Championship is a very tough league and it’s a step that I think I’m ready for." Nkeng was born in Barcelona before his family moved to London when he was seven. He spent time in the academies at Brentford and Tottenham before joining the Dons’ academy in 2021. Jones feels he fits in with the club's philosophy around young players. "We’re delighted to get it done. He’s a player we've watched and monitored for a while," jones said. "He’s a young player who will provide real valuable competition. We get him at a real good age. He has a lot of development to come but he has the raw attributes that we

ADDICKS MAKE 'MARQUEE SIGNING'

On a busy day in SE7, midfielder Ibrahim Fullah signed a new long-term deal before moving on a season-long loan to League One MK Dons. "It’s a pleasure to sign a new deal with my boyhood club," Fullah said. "It’s another step in the right direction and I just can’t wait to kick on. "I’m very grateful for the belief the staff have shown in me to sign a long-term contract and I can’t wait to show the fans what I’m capable of doing. "Getting the opportunity to go on loan will help me and my development at this stage of my career and will help shape me from being a boy into a man. It will give me that experience in men’s football, so I can’t wait."

Fulham get Real with late transfer moves By Shane Stapleton FULHAM MADE a triple swoop on deadline day - including a third signing of the summer from Real Madrid.

Midfielder Manuel Angel, 22, signed a three-year deal at Craven Cottage and links up with former Bernabeu teammates Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios to play under ex-Real boss Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa gave Angel his Real debut. He played four times in La Liga and twice in the Champions League last season. "It's an incredible feeling to have signed

for such a legendary club as Fulham, the oldest in London," Angel said. "And to compete in a league like the Premier League, where every player dreams of playing at some point in their career." Fulham have signed Hugo Larsson from Eintract Frankfurt. The 22-year-old Sweden international midfielder joined on an initial season-long loan with an obligation to buy for £18.3m at the end of the campaign. Larsson made 119 appearances and scored ten goals in three seasons in Germany.

"Obviously it's a very proud moment for me and my family – I'm honoured to be here," Larsson said. "To come here, to the oldest club in London, with all the history that it has, is such an honour for me." Fulham director of football Tony Khan added: "I'm thrilled to welcome Hugo Larsson to Fulham. He is a very talented player, and we have been tracking him for several years. "Hugo has impressed at Eintracht Frankfurt and for his national team, and I believe that he can strengthen our squad."

All good things must Enz

Oliver Skipp has signed on loan from Leicester City

The Cottagers' last signing of the summer window was Austrian centre-back David Affengruber from Spanish side Elche. Affengruber, 25, signed a fouryear deal with the option of another twelve months. "It is a special day for me and my career," he said. "This is a big next step for me, and I am very proud and happy to be here. "It's been a long day, but a very special one. You don't often get an opportunity like this. "Now I'm just happy to be here, and very motivated to get started."

Fernandez, 25, became the first player in history to be transferred for more than £100million twice after he signed a five-year contract with the Sky Blues for a joint-record British fee, equalling what Liverpool paid Newcastle United a year ago for Alexander Isak. The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina helped Chelsea to victory in the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup under Enzo Maresca, now his boss again at City. "I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place," Fernandez said. "Three years ago, Cobham and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family. I grew attached to the people, to the shirt, and to the badge of this incredible club. "Believe me when I say that, from the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves. We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones. "I live football the same way I live my life: with passion and with all my heart. That is why I want you to know that I understand you. I truly understand you, from the bottom of my heart. "But life is about making decisions, and right now I find myself having to make one of those difficult decisions. I’ve said it before, but I want to say it again: I have grown incredibly fond of this club. Chelsea will always have a place in my thoughts and, above all, in my heart. "But I also understand how football works. I know how passionate you are, because I am the same. And if I were in your position, I would probably be thinking the same way. "I want to thank every single one of you: the staff, the coaching team, the medical team, the physios, and everyone who works at Cobham and throughout this great institution. "To all my team-mates over these years, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing so many moments with me. I was truly happy here, and I wish you nothing but the very best for the future. "Thank you for all the love and support you have given me and my family throughout these years. I will never forget it. This group will give you many more reasons to be happy, and I will be happy for you too. Never doubt that. "You will always be in my heart, Blues. I will always wish you, always, nothing but the very best."

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ROM RETURNS

£14.5million winger joins on loan from Crystal Palace By Will Scott

ROMAIN ESSE has rejoined the Lions on a season-long loan.

Esse, 21, became the Lions’ record sale when he joined Crystal Palace in a £14.5million deal in January 2025, but is back at The Den after a difficult 20 months. The winger had a dream start to his Eagles career, scoring on

his Premier League debut against Brentford, but struggled to get into head coach Oliver Glasner’s plans. He made seventeen appearances for Crystal Palace before joining Coventry City on loan in January. He made eighteen appearances, scoring twice and registering an assist, as the Sky Blues cruised to the title. He was deemed surplus to requirements this summer, and a

permanent move to Club Brugge fell through a few weeks ago. Esse joined Millwall’s academy as a nine-year-old and progressed through the ranks before making his debut under Gary Rowett on Boxing Day 2022. He went on to feature 66 times for the Lions, scoring seven goals. “I am delighted to get Romain back at the club,” Millwall’s director of football Steve Gallen

said. “When I first came in, he was the shining light around here. He went off to Crystal Palace, in the Premier League, which was great for him at that time, but he hasn’t played as much – so we’re going to give him a real opportunity again. “It’s great news for the football club and it’s great to see him back here.”

Femi leaves for Brighton in record Lions sale By Will Scott

FEMI AZZEZ has left Millwall for Brighton & Hove Albion in a £15million deal.

The Seagulls were determined to land the Millwall winger, and after falling short with their first three bids, they met the Lions’ valuation on deadline day. Azeez has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League club and it is a record sale for Millwall. The 25-year-old was named in the PFA Championship team of the year – alongside Lions defender Tristan Crama – after eleven goals and eight assists in the league in 2025-26 helped Alex Neil’s side into the playoffs. Millwall lost 2-0 to Hull City in the semi-finals. Azeez made his debut for Nigeria in May, scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup at The Valley. Azeez got an assist in the Super Eagles’ 3-0 victory against Jamaica in the final. Millwall signed Azeez from League One Reading for around £1million in the summer of 2024. There was a sellon clause in the deal. “We are delighted to add Femi to the squad," Brighton sporting director Mike Cave said. "He arrives off the back of an excellent season with Millwall, having played a key role for them as they finished in the play-offs. “He was one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship, and we’re delighted to have finally agreed his transfer, and we are now looking forward to working with him.”

The winger returns after 20 months away

PAGE 29

Femi Azeez is the Lions' record sale

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